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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
The first quarter of 2008 brought an anxiously-anticipated and welcome end to the highly contentious presidential election campaign in Taiwan. It is widely believed that the results of the March 22, 2008 presidential election are likely to usher in a new period in Taiwan politics, with reduced tensions in the relationships with China and with […]
The US-Taiwan Business Council issues a statement commenting on Taiwan’s Counter-strike Missile Program and U.S. policy towards Taiwan Force Modernization In the early part of 2007, the Bush Administration tacked a new course on Taiwan’s counter-strike missile program. The new heading was triggered by Ministry of National Defense testimony in the Legislative Yuan (LY) on the fiscal […]
This has been a year of challenges in U.S.-Taiwan relations, dominated by continuing friction over a range of politically-driven initiatives by the Chen Shui-bian government – initiatives that not only aggravated internal divisiveness but also irritated and alienated Washington. The past year saw the process of political consolidation within the two major political coalitions in […]
Taiwan Defense & Security ReThe summer and early fall of 2007 saw what could be the start of a slow-brewing crisis of sorts, stemming from responses by both Beijing and Washington to Taipei’s reinvigorated interest in regaining membership in the United Nations (UN). The movement towards applying for UN membership under the name Taiwan has […]
The US-Taiwan Business Council states its position in support of House Resolution 676 (H.Res.676, 110th Congress, 2007-2008) on Taiwan Arms Sales and U.S. support for Taiwan’s legitimate national defense needs. [The Council] supports the passage of H.Res.676 on the matter of U.S. support for Taiwan’s legitimate national defense needs, and specifically supports immediately allowing Taiwan […]