2005
Missile Buildup
and Defense
Defense Minister’s
Visit to the U.S.
EU Arms Embargo
~ 2000 ; 2001 ; 2002 ; 2003 ; 2004
[News] [Papers]
Weapons Package
Key to Taiwan-U.S. Ties, MOFA Claims
(CNA, Dec. 28, 2005) The arms procurement package pending in
the Legislative Yuan is a decisive factor in future Taiwan-U.S. relations,
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen said yesterday.
Taipei Rejects
Arms Budget for 42nd Time
(Reuters, Dec. 24, 20050 Taiwan's Defence Ministry has offered to trim a
special budget for US military hardware yet again - from NT$340 billion to
NT$299 billion - as opposition lawmakers yesterday blocked the Bill for the
42nd time.
Ma and Soong Agree on
Stalled Arms Package
(China Post, Dec. 23,
2005) The two opposition party chairmen said Taiwan should not buy over-priced
weapons and equipment. At the same time, Taiwan
should make clear to the United States
it is determined to defend itself against attacks from China.
KMT to Scrutinize Any New
Arms Plan
(Taipei
Times, Dec. 19, 2005)
KMT legislators said a decision to purchase the weapons would hinge on a
number of factors, and that they wouldn't just `passively' accept a new
proposal.
Taiwan Leader Urges Support
for Controversial Arms Package
(AFP, Dec. 17, 2005) Taiwan's president Chen Shui-bian has renewed his call
for the opposition to support a controversial arms deal with the United
States, as the island's navy inaugurated two US-built Kidd-class destroyers.
Taiwan Plans to Build
Airfield on Disputed S. China Sea Island
(Asia Pulse, Dec 16, 2005)
Vice Minister of National Defense Huo Shou-yeh confirmed Thursday that the Taiwan government will build an airfield on
one of the biggest islets of the disputed Spratly
Islands in the South
China Sea.
Taiwan Set For Delivery Of Two US-Built Kidd-Class
Destroyers
(AFP, Dec. 7, 2005) The first two of four Kidd-class destroyers sold to
Taiwan by the United States are due to arrive at the weekend, bolstering the
navy's defense capabilities against rival China.
Upgrade Defense Abilities:
Japanese Expert
(Taipei Times, Nov. 6, 2005) The passage of the
special arms procurement budget is crucial for raising the nation's defense
capabilities and ensuring smooth cooperation with the US and Japan in a
Taiwan Strait crisis, a Japanese strategic expert said.
US Approves $280 mln Missile Sale to Taiwan
(Reuters, Oct. 27, 2005)
The U.S. Defense Department notified Congress that it had approved the sale
to Taiwan
of 10 AIM-9M Sidewinder
missiles and 5 AIM-7M
Sparrow missiles.
MND Says U.S.
'Impatient' Story Untrue
(Taiwan News, Oct. 25, 2005) Sources reported after 33 legislative rejections
of the arms procurement package, the United States is planning to adjust the
contents of its foreign military sale to Taiwan, yet National Defense Deputy
Minister Huoh Shoou-yeh denied such rumors.
Ex-President Says Taiwan Needs Missiles
(WP, Oct. 19, 2005) Taiwan's former president, Lee Teng-hui, said that a
growing military imbalance with China has made it increasingly necessary for
the island to acquire "some kind of long-range missiles" that would
give it an offensive capability.
US Official Urges Switch to
'Defense'
(Associated Press, Oct.
16, 2005) Admiral William Fallon, head of the US Pacific Command, said that the nation could best protect itself by investing more in
mines and other defensive weapons, not offensive ones.
Taiwan to Launch $394m 'Spy
Satellite'
(AFP, Oct. 10, 2005) Taiwan plans to launch a spy satellite costing $US300
million as a result of China's continued hostility towards the island, a
newspaper reported.
Taiwan President Pledges to Boost Island's
Defenses
(AP, Oct. 10, 2005)
In a national day speech, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian accused China
of refusing to pursue democracy and peace, and pledged to strengthen the
island's defenses against its historic rival.
KMT's Arms Stance Not Viewed
on Future Presidency: Ma
(China Post, Oct. 9, 2005)
Chairman Ma Ying-jeou of the opposition Kuomintang said that his party
supports "reasonable" arms procurements and will not consider the
issue from the point of view of a possible future ruling party.
U.S. Urges Taiwan
Not to Buy Offensive Weapons
(Washington Times, Oct. 8, 2005) Senior officers of the U.S. Pacific Command
have quietly urged military leaders of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to
forgo purchases of some high-tech weapons with offensive capabilities.
Taiwan President Offers to
Brief MPs on Arms Deal
(Reuters, Oct. 6, 2005) Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, under pressure from
Washington to pass an arms package blocked by opposition lawmakers, offered
to deliver a report in parliament to seek support for the $11 billion special
budget.
KMT Says Its Stance on Arms
Deal Unchanged
(Taiwan News, Oct. 4, 2005) The opposition Kuomintang party denied a
newspaper report that it planned to "conditionally" refer the
Executive Yuan's budget bill of the U.S. arms purchase to the Legislative
Defense Committee for review after the December 3 three-in-one election.
KMT, DPP Debate
Tsai's Logic on 2004 Referendum
(CNA, Sep. 30, 20050 Both ruling and opposition lawmakers challenged Vice
Minister of National Defense Tsai Ming-hsien's argument that the government
can still propose a budget for buying anti-missile equipment.
Arms Bill Has to Pass
Eventually, President Says
(CNA, Sep. 29, 2005)
President Chen Shui-bian said that a long-stalled arms procurement package
has to be passed in the end, and opposition leaders and the United States know this
"clearly."
Pan-Blue Lawmakers Rule Out
Buying Patriot Missiles
(Taipei Times, Sep. 27,
2005) Pan-blue legislators said they will not approve the bill
for the purchase of Patriot missile batteries because the referendum held
last year in tandem with the presidential poll was a public "veto"
of the purchase.
Submarines to
Carry New Missiles, Jane's Reports
(AFP, Sep. 26, 2005) Taiwan plans to equip its two Dutch-built submarines
with Harpoon anti-ship missiles that could be used to attack key Chinese
naval bases, Jane's Defense Weekly said.
Cost of Joint Japan-U.S. Interceptor System Triples
(Yomiuri Shimbun, Sep. 25, 20050 The U.S. government has told the Japanese
government that the estimated cost of the two countries' joint development of
a next-generation missile interceptor system would be about 3 billion dollars
(321 billion yen)--nearly triple the initial estimate.
Thousands March
to Support Taiwan Arms Deal with the US
(Reuters, Sep. 26, 20050 Thousands of Taiwan people, mostly from
pro-independence groups, marched through the streets of Taipei to back a
special arms budget blocked by opposition parties.
MND Chief 'Not Threatened'
by U.S. Warning
(China Post, Sep. 24, 2005) Defense Minister Lee Jye said he did not feel
threatened by a warning issued by a Pentagon official who said the United
States would not defend Taiwan if the island refused to raise its defense
budget.
Pan-Blues Criticize US
Warning
(Taipei Times, Sep. 22, 2005) KMT legislators suggested
that the US did not
understand Taiwan's
situation and was in no place to urge passage of the US arms package.
U.S.-Taiwan Defense
Conference Opens
(CNA, Sep. 21, 2005)
The fourth U.S.-Taiwan national defense industry conference opened in San
Diegoy, with more than 100 representatives from the United States and Taiwan attending.
Reducing Budget for Repair of
Arms a Concern, Says PFP
(CNA, Sep. 20, 2005)
An opposition People First Party lawmaker questioned the government's policy
of spending less money on the maintenance of military equipment as "this
policy will place military personnel in an unsafe environment."
Opposition Rejects Call to
Pass Arms Budget
(China Post, Sep. 19, 2005)
President Chen Shui-bian urged opposition lawmakers to support a
billion-dollar special budget for purchasing U.S. weaponry -- but the
opposition rejected his calls.
Chinese Sub Sighted in June:
MND
(Taipei Times, Sep. 18,
2005) The defense ministry confirmed that a Chinese nuclear sub
had surfaced near five navy vessels, but denied that alert levels had been
raised.
US Losing
Patience as Taiwan Dithers
Over Weapons Deal
(Straits Times, Sep. 17,
2005) The United States is increasingly frustrated with Taiwan's
reluctance to approve the purchase of an American weapons package to bolster
the island's defenses.
US Officials Urge Taiwan to
Increase Defense Budget
(CNA, Sep 14, 2005)
The US has suggested that Taiwan
raise its defense budget to 3.5 percent of its GDP to prevent the
cross-strait military balance from tilting further in favor of China,
a Japanese economic daily reported.
Ma, Soong Agree to Oppose
Special Weapons Budget
(China Post, Sep. 8, 2005)
The leaders of the two main opposition parties agreed yesterday to jointly
oppose a NT$340 billion special arms budget proposed by the government.
Arms Package
Fails to Make It onto Agenda
(Taiwan News, Sep. 7, 2005)
The military procurement package and nominations for Control Yuan members
failed to make it onto the legislative agenda for next week after opposition
parties declined to support them.
EU Says Lifting of China
Arms Embargo on Long-Term Agenda
(AFX, Sep. 6, 2005) Europe's foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the
European Union's arms embargo on China will be lifted eventually, but gave no
timetable.
China Warns US Help to Taiwan
on Missile Defense Will Erode Trust (AFP, Sep. 1, 2005) China has warned any help given to Taiwan
to protect itself against a missile threat would erode trust and undermine
regional peace and stability.
Changes in Defense Budget
Seen as 'A Grueling Decision'
(Taiwan News, Aug. 31, 2005) Minister of National Defense Lee Jye said it has
been a "grueling" experience for him to decide to use the regular
budget to purchase badly needed Patriot III anti-missile batteries.
Taiwan Trims Arms Budget in
Bid to Get Bill Passed
(Reuters, Aug. 30, 2005) Taiwan will trim a proposed special arms budget,
aimed at fending off rival China, to US$11 billion from US$15 billion, in a
bid to push the bill through an opposition-dominated parliament, the
government said.
US Denies Talks Have Been
Cancelled
(TT, Aug. 28, 2005) Next month's planned high-level military talks between
the US and Taiwan have not been cancelled, but have been postponed to enable
high-level US defense officials to attend the talks, Pentagon sources say.
US Cancels Defense Meet with
Taiwan
Taipei Times, Aug. 26, 2005) Seeking to placate Beijing ahead of next month's
visit to the US by Chinese President Hu Jintao, the Bush administration has
canceled high-level annual defense talks with Taiwan.
Taiwan to Trim Arms Budget for
Approval
(Reuters, Aug. 25, 2005)
Taiwan
will further trim a proposed US$15 billion arms budget to push through the
deal in the opposition-dominated parliament, the defense ministry said.
China and Russia
Conduct Naval Blockade
(AFP, Aug. 24, 2005)
Chinese destroyers, submarines and fighter planes coordinated with a Russian
missile destroyer and anti-submarine vessels in ongoing war games simulating
a naval blockade.
Taiwan in Talks with US
Firms on Military Copter Deals – Report (AFX, Aug. 22, 2005) Taiwan
is in talks with US companies to purchase dozens of attack and transport
helicopters and upgrade the AH-1W Super Cobra attack fleet serving the army,
Jane's defense weekly said.
China, Russia
Begin First Joint Military Exercises
(Bloomberg, Aug. 18, 20050 China and Russia started their first joint
military exercise, with army, naval and air force units performing maneuvers
in the Russian Far East and China's northern coastal Shandong province.
Taiwan’s Troops Hold
'Chinese-Invasion' Drill
(AFP, Aug. 18, 2005)
On the eve of joint exercises by Beijing and Moscow, Taiwan's
military staged an exercise simulating a Chinese invasion.
Parris Chang Says the US,
Japan Will Defend Taiwan
(CNA, Aug 14, 2005)
Citing a joint statement issued by the US
and Japan on Feb. 19,
Chang claimed this is a promise to defend Taiwan
from an attack by China.
Defense Ministry Rejects
Missile Deployment Story
(CNA Aug. 13, 2005)
The Ministry of National Defense referred to a media report claiming that
locally-built cruise missiles have secretly begun to be deployed on the
island as a "sheer fabrication"
Taiwan Begins Deployment of
Cruise Missiles
(AFP, Aug. 12, 2005)
Taiwan has begun deploying
home-made cruise missiles on mobile launchers and that they are capable of
hitting major military targets in southeast China, a newspaper here reported.
US Military Delegation Holds
Talks
(Taipei Times, Aug. 12,
2005) A delegation of US military officials is in Taipei and has held
joint talks with senior Taiwanese military officials. The talks are part of a
series of high-level security discussions that Taiwan
regularly has with the US.
Ma Says He Is Not Against
Arms Deal
(CNA, Aug. 7, 2005)
KMT Chairman-elect Ma Ying-jeou said that he will not oppose the arms
procurement package simply because it is listed under a special budget.
Chen's Tripartite
Call Against China
(Straits Times, Aug. 5,
2005) Taiwan, Japan and the US
must cooperate militarily against China
to prevent the Taiwan Strait from becoming a 'Chinese sea lane' and thus
closed off to Japanese ships, Taiwan
President Chen Shui-bian has said.
Taiwan Stages Military Drill
Simulating Chinese Blockade
(AFP, Aug. 4, 2005)
Taiwan
has held a military drill simulating a naval blockade of two southern
harbors, officials said. In the exercise off a major naval base in southern
Tsoying city, US-built and French-built warships mobilized along with F-16
jet fighters.
Opposition Pans U.S. Scholar
over Arms Purchase Comments (Taiwan
News, July 31, 2005)
Opposition lawmakers dismissed criticism by a U.S. scholar who recently argued
that the White House and the U.S. Congress should cut ties with what he
called pro-China opposition parties if they persisted in blocking the arms
package.
Military Exercises Aimed at Deterring Chinese Invasion
Judged as Successful (Reuters, July 28, 2005) Taiwan staged military exercises yesterday
aimed at repelling a Chinese invasion, a week after the United States said China's
military modernization drive had tilted the balance in Beijing's favor.
Beijing's Missiles Can Even
Reach New Zealand: Chen
(China Post, July 27, 2005)
President Chen Shui-bian warned that arch-rival China's growing missile build-up not
only posed a threat to the democratic island, but also endangered the world.
Taiwan's Chen
Urges Opposition to Back Arms Deal
(Reuters, July 25, 20050 Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian vented his
frustration at opposition parties over a stalled $15 billion arms budget,
calling on them to support a special parliament session to push through the
deal.
China Distances Itself from
Nuclear Weapons Threat against United States
(AFP, July 22, 2005) China has distanced itself from reported comments by a
general last week that Beijing could use nuclear weapons to retaliate against
the United States if it attacked over Taiwan.
Taiwan Hails US Report on
China's Military Might
(AFP, July 21, 2005) Taiwan
President Chen Shui-bian has hailed a US Pentagon report on China's military build-up that Beijing protested as
interference in its internal affairs.
US Says China Not a Threat
Despite Military Concerns
(AFP, July 21, 2005)
The United States does not consider China
a threat, the White House said after China protested about a Defense
Department report which expressed concern about its military buildup.
Calling In Envoy, Beijing
Assails Pentagon Report
(NYT, July 21, 2005)
China's Foreign Ministry
called in a senior American diplomat in Beijing
to denounce a Pentagon report on China's military strength.
U.S. Rebukes Chinese General
for His Threat of Nuclear Arms Use (NYT, July 16, 2005) A Chinese general who said his country would
use nuclear weapons against the United States if the American military
intervened in any conflict with Taiwan drew a sharp rebuke from the Bush
administration.
China, Firm on Taiwan, Says
General's Words His Own
(Reuters, July 16, 2005) Remarks by a Chinese general that Beijing could use
nuclear arms against the United States in a war over Taiwan were his personal
views, but China will never allow Taiwan to be independent, China's Foreign
Ministry said.
Chinese General Threatens
Use of A-Bombs if U.S. Intrudes
(New York Times, July 15, 2005) China
should use nuclear weapons against the United
States if the American military intervenes in any
conflict over Taiwan,
a senior Chinese military official said.
DPP to Blame for Arms Delay:
Lien
(China Post, July 12, 2005) Kuomintang leader Lien Chan told former U.S.
deputy assistant secretary of state Randall Schriver that it was the ruling
Democratic Progressive Party's fault that parliament had not passed a
billion-dollar arms deal.
Taiwan Carries Out Military
Maneuvers
(AP, July 7, 2005) Taiwanese troops on Thursday carried out a major military
exercise aimed at fending off an invasion from China,
four months after Beijing passed a law
threatening force if Taiwan
moves toward independence.
Taiwan Needs More Arms to Counter China – Report
(Reuters, July 4, 2005) Taiwan needs to buy more attack weapons to counter a
rapid arms build-up by rival China, United Daily News reported. The paper did
not specify the types of weapon, saying only they would be for offensive
purposes.
Taiwan Says U.S. Arms Deal
Will Fend Off China
(Reuters, June 28, 2005) Taiwan
risks losing its military edge over ideological foe China -- and support from the United States
-- if parliament fails to approve a US$15 billion arms budget, a senior
defense ministry official said.
Taiwan to Get US Early
Warning Radar
(Reuters, June 24, 2005) The US Defense Department has said it would supply Taiwan with key elements of a missile and air
defense capability, a move aimed at defusing the threat from China.
China Tested New Missile,
US Source Confirms
(AP, June 24, 2005) The Chinese military successfully launched a long-range
ballistic missile from a submarine in a test this month, marking an advance
in their known technical capability, a US defense official said.
Officials to Hold Military
Talks with US
(Taipei Times, Jun 24, 2005) Two senior Taiwanese government officials will be
in Washington next week to discuss ways to
improve military relations between Taiwan
and the US.
China Test-Fires New Submarine-Launched Missile
(Yomiuri Shimbun, June 18, 2005) China test-fired a new
long-range, submarine-launched ballistic missile. The new missile is believed
to be the Ju Lang-2, a modified version of the intercontinental ballistic
missile Dong Feng-31 that has a range of about 8,000 kilometers.
US Representatives Urge
Passage of Arms Budget
(Taipei Times, May 28, 2005) Citing concerns about Taiwan's defense abilities,
dozens of members of Congress sent a letter to Lien Chan urging the KMT to
end its boycott.
Don't Train Taiwan Military, China Warns U.S.
(Reuters, May 28, 2005) China today asked Washington to stop an effort by US
lawmakers to establish a military training program for rival Taiwan.
US Denies Deadline on Arms
Purchases
(Taipei Times, May 26, 2005) Officials in Washington
say that US
policy has not changed, and that they are committed to the arms deal --
regardless of the legislature's intransigence.
Taiwan Opposition Blocks Arms-Deal Debate
(Reuters, May 25, 2005) Taiwan opposition lawmakers have again blocked a
NT$480 billion arms budget from being discussed in the current legislative
session.
Taiwan Says 2nd Chinese Ship
Enters Its Waters
(Reuters, May 24, 2005) Taiwan
sent coast guard ships and a helicopter to push back a Chinese research
vessel that it said had entered its waters, the second such intrusion in a
month.
US Gives Taiwan Deadline on
Aircraft Sales: Official
(Taipei Times, May 24, 2005) According to the defense minister, the US will sell
12 maritime patrol planes elsewhere if the legislature doesn't approve the
arms bill by month's end.
Taiwan Detains Officer for Leaking
Secrets to China
(Reuters, May 11, 2005) Taiwan
has detained an intelligence officer on suspicions he leaked defense secrets
to rival China,
forcing the defense ministry to swing into damage control.
Taiwan Navy Could
Hold Off Chinese 'for Two Weeks'
(AP, Apr. 27, 2005) A compute-simulated war game has confirmed a Taiwanese
military theory that the island's naval fleet - led by US-built destroyers -
could hold on for at least two weeks in the event of a mainland Chinese
attack.
Taiwan Tests Defenses with Computer
Drills
(AFP, Apr. 19, 2005) Taiwan's
Defense Ministry launched a five-day computer-simulated wargame to test the
island's defense capabilities against China.
PLA Purchase of French Fighters Concerns Taiwan,
Military Says
(Taiwan News, Apr. 12, 2005) Taiwan's
Air Force is concerned over China's
intention to buy French-made Mirage 2000-9 fighters once the European weapon
sales embargo on China
is lifted.
Military Sees China Sea
Dominance in Taiwan Strait by 2015
(China Post, Mar. 24, 2005) The military predicted China
would have the ability to build a big enough air carrier fleet to gain sea
dominance in the Taiwan Strait by 2015 in a bid to drum up support for a controversial
billion-dollar U.S.
arms deal.
Defense Chief Sees Mainland
Attack in 5 to 10 Years' Time
(China Post, Mar. 10, 2005) Minister of National Defense Lee Jye predicted China will attack Taiwan in five to ten years.
U.S. Lawmakers Warn Europe
on Arms Sales to China
(NYT, Mar. 2, 2005) Senior members of Congress from both parties emerged from
a meeting with President Bush warning Europe that if it lifts its ban on arms
sales to China, the United States
may retaliate with severe restrictions on technology sales to European
companies.
MND Makes 23% Price Cut for
U.S. Arms Purchase
(China Post, Feb. 23, 2005) Minister of National Defense Lee Jye said he is
ready to make a 23 percent price cut to win legislative support for passing a
US$18 billion arms purchase bill.
Taiwan Navy to
Put on Show of Long-Range Power
(AFP, Feb. 22, 2005) Taiwan's navy plans to embark next month on its first
round-the-world voyage, which will include port calls in countries which
recognize Beijing.
Defense Firm
Drops Radar Bid for Taipei
(AFP, Feb. 7, 2005) US Defense giant Lockheed Martin has withdrawn its bid to
supply Taiwan
with an early-warning radar system as the island was reconsidering the
controversial arms deal.
Taiwan Unveils Armored Vehicle
(Taiwan News, Jan. 12, 2005) A new feline that can handle Taiwan's
rough terrain has joined the country's military. The eight-wheeled vehicle
represents a breakthrough for the military which previously had to buy more
expensive foreign equipment.
Taiwan Successfully Test-Fires
Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile
(AP, Jan. 7, 2005) Taiwan
successfully test-fired a new locally developed supersonic anti-ship missile
that could reach the coast of rival China, a newspaper reported.
US Plans to Buy Ammunition from Taiwan:
Report
(AFP, Jan. 7, 2004) The US has plans to buy hundreds of millions of bullets
from Taiwan in the first
such deal ever as its supplies run low due to the conflicts in
Afghanistan and Iraq.
Taiwan to Purchase over 400
Hellfire Missiles
(CNA, Jan. 6, 2005) Taiwan
will purchase more than 400 Hellfire missiles from the United States,
worth a total of about US$50 million, American defense industry sources said.
Fighter Jets May Be
Mothballed
(CNA, Jan. 4, 2005) Because of Taiwan's high humidity and other reasons, the
Ministry of National Defense is considering putting away its planes.
China May Have Upper Hand in
Five Years: US Report
(Taipei Times, Nov. 30, 2005) Within five years, China's armed forces may be able
to prevent the US from coming to Taiwan's aid against a military attack from
China, a new US congressional report warns.
Taiwan's Cold Feet By Philip Bowring
(International Herald Tribune, Oct. 3, 2005) The 2001 list may not be
optimal, but with these weapons, Taiwan can keep the cost to the
mainland sufficiently high so as to act as a deterrent. That in turn would
reassure its few friends that Taiwan
is prepared to stand up for itself.
Time Running Out as Taiwan
Wrings Hands over US Arms By Alice
Hung (Reuters, Oct. 2, 2005) Time is running out
for Taiwan as parliament agonizes over a huge U.S. weapons package seen as
critical in maintaining the balance of power with China and as Washington all
but throws its arms in the air in frustration.
Domestic Factors and the U.S.
Arms Sale to Taiwan By Philip
Yang (Taipei Times, Sep. 30, 2005) Taiwan's
purchase of arms from the US is not a simple military problem, but is a
complex issue that is critical to the security of the cross-strait situations
and the relationship between Taiwan, the US and China.
For Taiwan, American Rock,
Chinese Hard Place By Todd
Crowell (Asia Times, Sep. 30, 2005) For months
Washington has been growing increasingly frustrated by Taiwan's lack of
spending on national defense in the face of China's rising arms expenditures
and force modernization.
Finessing a Tougher
Taiwanese Defense By Richard
Halloran
(Japan Times, Sep. 27, 2005) The new commander of American forces in Asia and
the Pacific, Adm. William J. Fallon, has begun making subtle but distinctive
changes in his command's endeavor to keep the peace between Taiwan and China.
Taiwan's Turn By Justin Logan
(Washington Times, Sep. 26, 2005) In the face of this dire threat, Taiwan has displayed a stunning
neglect of its own defense, and not just in terms of its refusal to pass the
special budget. Over the last five years, Taiwan's overall defense spending
has dropped roughly 25 percent.
Taiwan Needs Consensus on
Defense
(Editorial, Taipei Times, Sep. 22, 2005) It is time for all the people of
Taiwan to reach a consensus on national security and show the US that Taiwan
is no coward, nor a baby that knows only how to cry for help but refuses to
help itself.
Taiwan Strait Tension Easing
(Reuters, Sep. 21, 2005) Taiwan
and China can probably
avoid military conflict for the remainder of President Chen Shui-bian's term,
which ends in May 2008, but the Taiwan Strait
remains a dangerous region, according to a report by a security group.
Stand Up for Yourselves,
Lawless Tells Taiwanese
(Taipei Times, Sep. 21, 2005) US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for
East Asia Richard Lawless yesterday issued a blunt statement on Taiwan's
blocked arms-procurement bill.
U.S. Should Hold Arms Deal
(Editorial, China
Post, Aug. 31, 20050 Washington
appears desperate. It no longer hides its impatience with Taiwan over
the failure to conclude the deal of a robust package of advanced weapons that
President Bush offered to sell.
Drills Put U.S. Navy on Notice By Richard Halloran
(Japan Times, Aug. 30, 20050 Soon after Adm. Gary Roughhead took the helm as
the new commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the Chinese and Russian armed
forces gave him something to think about.
Quiet Taiwan Strait a Big Relief to US By Roger Mitton
(Straits Times, Aug. 26, 2005) There is tremendous relief in the United States that tensions over the Taiwan Strait have lessened considerably in the past
six months.
'Peace Mission' Against the
U.S.? By Ariel Cohen
(Washington Times, Aug. 25, 2005) The unprecedented Sino-Russian first joint
military exercises on Aug. 18-25 have raised concerns in Washington. "The correlation of
forces in Eurasia is shifting against the U.S.", says a senior State
Department.
China's War Games Also Send
Message to Taiwan
(Sydney Morning Herald, Aug. 22, 2005) A parachute drop by Russian special
forces at a Chinese army training ground has signalled a growing challenge by
two former communist rivals to the US strategic presence in Asia.
Taiwan Skimping on Defense
Readiness By Richard Halloran
(Japan Times, Aug. 22, 2005) The political leaders of Taiwan, both government and opposition, are in
serious danger of misreading or ignoring the increasingly stiff warning
signals coming from Washington.
Russian-Chinese Maneuvers
Send a Message By Philip Bowring (International Herald
Tribune, Aug. 20, 2005) The two are reminding the United States of the limits of
its unilateral global power. The exercises are also a way for each country to
deliver a message to the other, as well as to their Northeast Asian
neighbors.
China-Russia War
games Send Message to US, Taiwan
(CNSNews, Aug. 18, 2005) Analysts generally agree Beijing
and Moscow are sending a message to the United States and its military presence in the
Pacific and, especially, in Central Asia.
War Games Seen as 'Message' By Bill Gertz
(Washington Times, Aug. 17, 2005) A joint Chinese and Russian military
exercise is meant as a political signal to the United States, in addition to helping
Moscow showcase its weapons for sale to China, U.S. defense and intelligence
officials said.
Taiwan Has to Bolster Its
Defenses and Resolve By Shu Chin-chiang (Taipei
Times, Aug. 11, 2005) Given the threat that exists from China, Taiwan
should form an Asia-Pacific security community with the US and Japan,
to deal with Beijing's
military rise.
A Brief History of Nuclear
Weapons By Yuan
Jing-dong
(Taipei Times, Aug. 7, 2005) Nuclear weapons, the most formidable and destructive weapons
ever invented and then built by mankind, have cast a dark shadow over
humanity for six decades.
U.S. Military Seen as Taiwan's 'Secret Weapon'
(Central News Agency, Aug. 3, 2005) Taiwan
should continue to treat the United States
as its "secret weapon" as it faces military threats from China, Eric
A. McVadon said.
Chinese Buildup Seen as
Threat to Region By Ann Scott Tyson
(Washington Post, July 20, 2005) China's military buildup is broadening the
reach of its forces in Asia and poses a long-term threat not only to Taiwan
but to the U.S. military in the Pacific and to regional powers such as India
and Japan, according to an assessment released yesterday by the Pentagon.
China's Military Geared to
Deterring Taiwan, Report Says By Thom Shanker and David E. Sanger
(NYT, July 20, 2005) China is modernizing its military and emphasizing
preparations "to fight and win short-duration, high-intensity
conflicts" over Taiwan, the Pentagon said Tuesday with the release of
its annual report on Chinese military power.
The Military Power of the
People’s Republic of China 2005
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Chen's Strategic Plans May Put Taiwan at Risk
(Editorial, China Post, July 7, 2005) The administration of President Chen
Shui-bian is effecting fundamental changes in the island's diplomatic and
military strategies.
Taiwan at Critical Juncture,
Needs Arms: Chen
(CNA, June 30, 2005) President Chen Shui-bian said that Taiwan is now at a
critical juncture of metamorphosis on many fronts, including constitutional
reform, the detente across the Taiwan Strait, diplomatic development and the
upgrading of national defense.
Israeli-produced Drone Poses A Big Threat to Taiwan, Says Expert
(AP, June 22, 2005) Israeli-made drone aircraft at the
heart of a fierce political row between Israel
and the U.S. are likely to
be a key element of any Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a Taiwanese military
analyst said yesterday.
Upsetting Asia's Delicate
Balance By Michael Elliott
(Time Asia, Mar. 7, 2005) The security of Taiwan, however, does not seem to
have entered into European calculations. Though Europeans seem blithely
unaware of it, the strategic balance in East Asia
is extraordinarily fragile.
Don't Lift the Arms Embargo
on China By David Shambaugh
(International Herald Tribune, Feb. 23, 2005) China
will just have to live with it until it comes to terms with Tiananmen and
stops putting military pressure on Taiwan.
An Arms Cornucopia For
China? By John Rossant
(BusinessWeek, Feb. 21, 2005) Europe will
probably lift its embargo, but companies will be careful what they sell. All of the European defense contractors want more business in the U.S., and
they are starting to get it.
|
