Taiwan Defense & Security Report – Annual Review, 2008
At the beginning of 2008, many held hopes for an eventual peaceful resolution of the Taiwan “problem”, and the year even delivered on some of its early promises to lower tensions in the Taiwan Strait. The first part of the year saw the election of President Ma Ying-jeou and the start of a new Legislative […]
Defense News Editorial on Taiwan Arms Sales
TAIWAN ARMS: 2 STEPS BACK, 1 STEP FORWARD Editorial Published in Defense News October 27, 2008 Rupert Hammond-Chambers President US-Taiwan Business Council When the U.S. State Department notified Congress Oct. 3 of a proposed $6.4 billion arms package offering a range of defensive weaponry to Taiwan, the sheer scope and cost of the package caught […]
Special Commentary: Taiwan Congressional Notifications Released
The US-Taiwan Business Council comments on Congressional Notifications for Taiwan Arms Sales While there has been a delay of over 7 months for 8 separate Congressional Notifications (CNs) for arms sales to Taiwan, on October 3 the U.S. Department of State released six items for notification: Javelin, Harpoon, spare aircraft parts, PAC-III, E-2T retrofit, and […]
Taiwan Defense & Security Report – Q3, 2008
The past three months saw a continued souring of public opinion and the end of the honeymoon period for President Ma Ying-jeou’s government, and the continued delay of Congressional notifications for U.S. arms sales added further strain to an already difficult period. Challenges extant both in the economic sphere and with domestic administration may have […]
US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2008 to discuss current trends in Taiwan military and national security relations with the United States
The US-Taiwan Business Council is pleased to announce that it will host the 7th annual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference on Amelia Island, Florida, from Sunday, September 28 – Tuesday, September 30, 2008. Conference sessions will focus on a range of subjects, including Taiwan’s long-range plans for force modernization; military transformation and the move to an […]
Taiwan Defense & Security Report – Q2, 2008
On Tuesday, May 20, 2008, Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang (KMT) was sworn in as president of Taiwan, heralding a sea change in cross-Strait relations. President Ma’s election victory probably means that the likelihood of a war between China and Taiwan – a war that might have involved the U.S. – has been greatly reduced. […]