
Georgia’s Lessons
Missile Buildup and Defense
EU Arms Embargo
~ 2000 ; 2001 ; 2002 ; 2003 ; 2004 ; 2005 ; 2006 ; 2007;
2008
[News] [Papers]
Polls
Survey on Taiwan Relations Act,
Arms Procurement, Participation in WHA, and President Ma’s Approval Rating
(GVSRC, Apr. 24, 2009) 48.3% of Taiwanese say
the government should procure more weapons to gain more ground with China;
meanwhile, 32.8% of Taiwanese approve of President Ma’s performance.

F-16 Fighter Jet Sale Still
on the Table: Outgoing AIT Chief
(China
Post, Jun. 27, 2009) Washington is still considering whether to sell advanced
F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan military, the top U.S. official on the island
said.
US Talks ‘Disappoint’
Chinese Official
(Taipei
Times, Jun. 27, 2009) Washington sources told the Taipei Times that Wang Yi,
director of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, left Washington “disappointed”
following a meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg this
week, during which he tried to persuade the US to end arms sales to Taiwan.
US, China to Discuss
Taiwanese Arms
(Taipei Times, Jun. 24, 2009) Top
US and Chinese officials were to discuss arms sales to Taiwan at separate meetings in Washington and Beijing,
sources said.
Taiwan Defense Firm Seeks
China Deal
(AP, Jun. 23, 2009) Taiwan's state-owned defense
company said it is discussing cooperation on building commercial aircraft
with a Chinese company.
Taiwan Still Looking to Buy
New F-16 Jets
(China
Post, Jun. 21, 2009) Taiwan
has not changed its bid to purchase U.S.-made F-16C/D jet fighters, its defense minister said.
China Envoy to Visit Washington
(Taipei Times, Jun. 20, 2009) Taiwan Affairs
Office Director Wang Yi will visit as speculation grows that Washington is on the verge of agreeing to a weapons
deal with Taipei.
Military Evaluating ADIC
Third Generation Fighter Aircraft: MND
(CNA, Jun. 20, 2009) According to the China Times
report, the ADIC has completed the design of the new military aircraft with
assistance from Russian experts in the field.
Taiwan Plans F-16 Upgrades By
Wendell Minnick
(DefenseNews, Jun. 15,
2009) Taiwan's
Air Force is planning a midlife upgrade of its 146 F-16A/B
Block 20 fighter jets. Officials from F-16 maker Lockheed Martin and the U.S.
Air Force briefed Taiwanese representatives on possible upgrade options
earlier this year.
Campbell Confirms Arms Talks
(Taipei
Times, Jun. 12, 2009) Kurt Campbell said at his Senate confirmation hearing
on his nomination for assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs
that there were “discussions under way right now” on the outstanding request
for arms sales to Taiwan.
China Is Now World No. 2
Arms Spender, Report Says
(AP, Jun. 8, 2009) China
has become the world's second biggest military spender behind the United States,
a Swedish peace research group said.
President Ma Shows Up at MND
War Game
(China
Post, Jun. 6, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou visited
the two command posts as the director of Operation Han Kuang
war game.
Gov’t to Fulfill Military
Policy in ‘14
(China Post, Jun. 4, 2009) The Ministry of
National Defense has set the goal of turning the nation's military into an
all-volunteer force by the end of 2014. But the conscription system of
drafting all able-bodied men will be revived in event of war, according to
the plan.
Taiwan Kidds to Receive
Radar Parts
(DefenseNews, May 16,
2009) The sale is welcome news in Taiwan, where there are fears the U.S. will
re-evaluate arms sales as Beijing and Taipei move closer.
Taiwan to Build Own Diesel Subs
(DefenseNews, Apr. 13,
2009) Taiwan appears to have given up on a 2001 U.S. offer of eight diesel
submarines and instead will develop an indigenous vessel. An announcement is
expected in August, sources here said.
China Mulls Military
Contacts with Taiwan
(Reuters, Apr. 14, 2009) China denied that its military officers would
meet Taiwanese counterparts in Hawaii
this summer, but suggested the two sides could begin low-key defense contacts
via retired personnel or academics.
Taiwan Military to Probe
Bribery Claims
(AFP, Apr. 9, 2009) Taiwan's defense ministry said it
had formed a task group to investigate an alleged high-profile bribery
scandal which it said had seriously tarnished the military's image.
Taiwan Helpless to Aid Boat
Hijacked by Somali Pirates
(China Post, Apr. 8, 2009) Taiwan is asking for American
and British help to save the 30-man crew of its 700-ton tuna boat hijacked by
Somalia pirates.
Taiwan May Build Its Own
Submarines
(China Post, Apr. 7, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou is trying to resurrect Project Diving Dragon to
create more job opportunities in the shipbuilding industry.
Somali Pirates Hijack
British, Taiwan Vessels
(Reuters, Apr. 6, 2009) Pirates seized a
British-owned ship and a Taiwan-registered fishing boat after taking three
vessels last weekend, officials said.
Taiwan, China Militaries to Meet
(AP, Mar. 31, 2009) Representatives from the
Taiwanese and Chinese militaries are planning to meet this summer in Hawaii in their first
formal exchange since the two sides split amid civil war six decades ago, a
Taiwanese newspaper reported.
DPP Caucus Chief Slams
Change in Military Drill
(Taipei Times, Mar. 27, 2009) A Democratic
Progressive Party legislator slammed the government for changing the scenario
for this year's military drill from defense against a Chinese military attack
into military action in case of a “domestic crisis.”
Taiwan Falls within Range of
1,300 China Missiles: MND
(CNA, Mar. 18, 2009) All of Taiwan falls within
the range of 1,300-plus ballistic missiles deployed by China, but it remains uncertain whether those
missiles are targeted at Taiwan
at the moment, a MND official said.
MND to Continue Cutting Troops
(China Post, Mar. 16, 2009) The Ministry of
National Defense aims to continue slashing the number of troops but will at
the same time beef up the fighting power with the procurement of more
advanced defense hardware.
Taiwan Renews Push for U.S.
F-16 Fighters
(Reuters, Mar. 14, 2009) Taiwan has renewed a drive to buy
advanced U.S.-built F-16 fighter aircraft, confronting President Barack Obama with a delicate
decision.
U.S. in Deal to Refurbish
Aircraft for Taiwan
(Reuters, Mar. 13, 2009) Lockheed Martin Corp is
being awarded a much-anticipated U.S. Navy contract to refurbish 12
submarine-hunting aircraft for Taiwan, the Pentagon said.
U.S. Declines to Sell Taiwan
F-16 Fighter Jets: Speaker Wang
(Reuters, Mar. 11, 2009) The U.S. government has
declined to make a long-awaited sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan for fear of upsetting China, Legislative Yuan speaker
said.
Taiwan: Military Working on
China Contact Body
(AP, Mar. 9, 2009) Taiwan is working on setting up a
think tank to coordinate contacts with the Chinese military, a Defense
Ministry official said.
U.S. Set to Refurbish Planes
for Taiwan
(Reuters, Feb. 21, 2009) The U.S. Navy said it
had reached a tentative deal to refurbish 12 maritime patrol aircraft for a
long-awaited transfer to Taiwan
as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in China.
US Policy on Arms Sales
Unchanged, Clinton Says
(Taipei Times, Feb. 18, 2009) US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton affirmed that there would be no change in Washington’s
policy on arms sales to Taiwan under the administration of US President Barack Obama.
US Intel Chief Warns Against
China-Taiwan Conflict
(AP, Feb. 12, 2009) President Barack
Obama's top intelligence official suggested that
China's massive military spending will spur continued U.S. arms sales to
Taiwan to maintain a military balance in the potentially dangerous Taiwan
Strait.
Military to Cut Frequency of
War Games
(China Post, Feb. 11, 2009) Taiwan military said
it is cutting the frequency of a major military exercise, but denied the move
is connected to improving ties with China.
Raytheon Wins
Patriot-Upgrade Job from Taiwan
(DefenseNews, Jan. 26,
2009) Under the contracts, Raytheon will upgrade Taiwan's Patriots to
"configuration 3," the same upgrade the company is completing for
the U.S. Army.
MND Considers Troop Cuts As
Ties with China Imporve
(China Post, Jan. 20, 2009) The Ministry of
National Defense will proceed with a plan to slash the number of troops as
relations with China
improve and modern weapons technologies are introduced.
Defense Chief Balks at
Sending Naval Vessels to Gulf of Aden
(CNA, Jan. 19, 2009) Minister of National Defense
Chen Chao-min said that it will be rather difficult
to dispatch naval vessels to the Gulf of Aden
to protect Taiwanese ships from Somalian pirates
operating there.
Ma Calls on PRC to Remove Missiles
(Taipei Times,
Jan. 18, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou reiterated
his call on Beijing to remove its missiles
targeting Taiwan
and improve cross-strait relations through negotiation.
Government Still Mulling Use
of Anti-Piracy Frigates
(Taipei Times,
Jan. 10, 2009) Sending navy ships to Somalia to protect Taiwanese
vessels is a complex issue that hinges on the world’s perception of the
nation, lawmakers said.
Agencies Mull Warships to
Somalia
(Taipei Times, Jan. 9, 2009) The government is
studying the possibility of sending warships to protect Taiwanese fishing
boats in the waters off Somalia, a high-ranking official at the Mainland
Affairs Council said yesterday.
MND Unmoved by PRC Missile Report
(Taipei Times, Jan. 4, 2009) The Ministry of
National Defense said it would not cut back on the nation’s defense despite a
media report that said China
could gradually decrease the number of missiles targeting Taiwan.

An Assessment of Tiawan’s
Quadrennial Defense Review By Michael M. Tsai (China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, Apr. 16, 2009) The
first ever published QDR by Taiwan’s MND may be considered by many scholars
and military experts as progressive and innovative in its strategic and
military planning and build-up. These estimates, however, tend to
underestimate the PLA’s rapid military
modernization and intention.
Taiwan-China Mil-to-Mil
Report False By Wendell Minnick
(DefenseNews, Apr. 3,
2009) Media reports that the U.S. Pacific Command (PaCom)
is sponsoring a military-to-military dialogue between China and Taiwan for this summer appear to
be incorrect.
Preparing for an Attack from
China By Lee Wen-chung
(Taipei Times, Mar. 25, 2009) Not only should the
government strive to upgrade its modern aircraft, warship, anti-ballistic
missiles and C4ISR systems, but its core combat capabilities should also be
based on sustainable and asymmetric warfare.
The Road Ahead for ROC
Military By Alexander Huang
(Taipei Times, Mar. 20, 2009) Taiwan’s first QDR has two main
themes: prevention and transformation. For prevention, the Ma administration
does not rely solely on modernizing and building up its forces, but also strives
for manageable cross-strait relations.
Taiwan’s Call to Arms By
Richard D. Fisher Jr.
(Wall Street Journal, Mar. 18, 2009) Taiwan may
be facing a reprise of the Clinton years, when it was forced to rely on its
own technologies and on brave allies in the U.S. Congress who understood the
need to defend Taiwan, even in the face of Administration policy and defense
cuts that undermined U.S. security commitment.
Taiwan Army to be Cut by
20pc By Rowan Callick
(The Australian, Mar. 18, 2009) Taiwan is
slashing its army by about a fifth as relations warm with China, its economy
slumps and it switches from a conscripted force to a professional army --
like that of the People's Republic.
Taiwan Gets 12 Orion ASW
Aircraft By Wendell Minnick
(DefenseNews, Mar. 15,
2009) With China holding $1.9 trillion in foreign exchange reserves and
Washington asking Beijing to buy even more U.S. debt, there are concerns Obama's pending Taiwan policy will favor no arms in the
future.
A Closer Look at Hu’s ‘Six
Proposals’ By Yu Tsung-chi
(Taipei Times, Jan. 15, 2009) To prevent possible
reactions at home and aboard, Taiwan’s military interactions with China must
be openly negotiated between China and Taiwan, between Taiwan and the US, and
between China and the US.
Obama Moves to Counter China
in Space with Pentagon-NASA Link (Bloomberg, Jan. 2, 2009) President-elect Barack
Obama will probably tear down long-standing barriers between the U.S.’s civilian and military space programs to
speed up a mission to the moon amid the prospect of a new space race with China.
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