Taiwan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.
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Ma pledges to strengthen defense
By Ko Shu-Ling
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Aug 31, 2008, Page 1
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday promised to continue arms purchases from the US and improve national defense one day after a Cabinet budget proposal showed a cut in funding for the Ministry of National Defense (MND).
Ma said improving cross-strait relations was not equivalent to abandoning national defense, adding that the nation must strengthen its military capabilities and remain prepared for combat.
“However, readying for combat does not mean engaging in war, but rather preventing one,” he said. “Only if the nation has strong defense capabilities can it negotiate with China from a position of strength.”
COMING SOON
He also expressed optimism that the US government would complete legal procedures for stalled arms sales to Taiwan.
Ma said his administration would continue to purchase defensive weapons from the US and that all signs indicated the White House would soon ask Congress to complete legal procedures for seven items Taiwan has requested from Washington.
Ma said he wanted to pursue peace, promote reconciliation and seek cooperation on questions of diplomacy and national defense.
“But this requires the concerted efforts of both sides,” he said. “If they are willing to do so, I am willing to move a step forward.”
Ma made the remarks while addressing retired generals and military leaders at the Military Officers’ Club in Taipei to mark Armed Forces Day.
VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS
Ma touted his campaign pledge to completely replace the conscription system with volunteers, saying it would improve the quality of the armed forces.
“We will protect the 23 million people of Taiwan against our potential enemy,” he said. “I promise to exert myself to continue to protect Taiwan.”
Ma’s address followed the release of the Cabinet’s national defense budget proposal on Friday. A total of NT$315.2 billion (US$10.17 billion) would be allocated to the MND next year — NT$10.4 billion lower than this year’s figure.
The MND said it would continue to push to end conscription next year as part of an effort to reform national defense and restructure the armed forces.
The budget proposed reducing the number of military personnel to 275,000, including 250,000 on the regular payroll, by the end of this year.
By Ko Shu-Ling
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Aug 31, 2008, Page 1
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday promised to continue arms purchases from the US and improve national defense one day after a Cabinet budget proposal showed a cut in funding for the Ministry of National Defense (MND).
Ma said improving cross-strait relations was not equivalent to abandoning national defense, adding that the nation must strengthen its military capabilities and remain prepared for combat.
“However, readying for combat does not mean engaging in war, but rather preventing one,” he said. “Only if the nation has strong defense capabilities can it negotiate with China from a position of strength.”
COMING SOON
He also expressed optimism that the US government would complete legal procedures for stalled arms sales to Taiwan.
Ma said his administration would continue to purchase defensive weapons from the US and that all signs indicated the White House would soon ask Congress to complete legal procedures for seven items Taiwan has requested from Washington.
Ma said he wanted to pursue peace, promote reconciliation and seek cooperation on questions of diplomacy and national defense.
“But this requires the concerted efforts of both sides,” he said. “If they are willing to do so, I am willing to move a step forward.”
Ma made the remarks while addressing retired generals and military leaders at the Military Officers’ Club in Taipei to mark Armed Forces Day.
VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS
Ma touted his campaign pledge to completely replace the conscription system with volunteers, saying it would improve the quality of the armed forces.
“We will protect the 23 million people of Taiwan against our potential enemy,” he said. “I promise to exert myself to continue to protect Taiwan.”
Ma’s address followed the release of the Cabinet’s national defense budget proposal on Friday. A total of NT$315.2 billion (US$10.17 billion) would be allocated to the MND next year — NT$10.4 billion lower than this year’s figure.
The MND said it would continue to push to end conscription next year as part of an effort to reform national defense and restructure the armed forces.
The budget proposed reducing the number of military personnel to 275,000, including 250,000 on the regular payroll, by the end of this year.
President optimistic about U.S. arms sales
CNA
Sunday, August 31, 2008
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- President Ma Ying-jeou expressed optimism for the first time yesterday about the p
ossibility of the United States giving the green light for the sale of a package of weapon systems to Taiwan.
In recent weeks, Ma has repeatedly taken advantage of his meetings with visiting American congressional members and think tank scholars to urge the U.S. government to quickly approve the sale of seven categories of weapons that Taiwan intends to buy.
Addressing a gathering of retired generals yesterday to mark the upcoming Armed Forces Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, Ma said that judging from recent developments, he is convinced that the United States will give a nod to Taiwan's arms procurement bid in the not too distant future.
"Recent signs show that the U.S. administrative department would notify Congress of its approval of our arms procurement package that covers seven types of weaponry," Ma told his audience.
The pending items are anti-tank missiles, Apache helicopters, Patriot PAC-3 missile batteries, diesel-powered submarines, P3C anti submarine aircraft and sea-launched Harpoon missiles and Black Eagle helicopters.
In his speech, Ma also said that recent improvements in relations across the Taiwan Strait should by no means be interpreted as a government attempt to give up efforts to enhance the country's defense capabilities.
Emphasizing the importance of honing the military's combat prowess and improving its defense arsenal, Ma said combat preparedness is not to wage war, but rather to deter war.
"Only with powerful defense muscle can we negotiate with strength in future cross-strait talks, " Ma explained, adding that Taiwan cannot afford to negotiate with weak military capabilities.
While Taiwan is more than willing to champion cross-strait reconciliation and pursue permanent peace on both the military and diplomatic fronts, Ma said, such lofty goals cannot be realized unilaterally.
Noting that upholding peace is at the core of commemorating the country's Sept. 3 Armed Forces Day, Ma said his administration will not miss any opportunity or possibility to advance or maintain permanent cross-strait peace.
CNA
Sunday, August 31, 2008
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- President Ma Ying-jeou expressed optimism for the first time yesterday about the p
ossibility of the United States giving the green light for the sale of a package of weapon systems to Taiwan.
In recent weeks, Ma has repeatedly taken advantage of his meetings with visiting American congressional members and think tank scholars to urge the U.S. government to quickly approve the sale of seven categories of weapons that Taiwan intends to buy.
Addressing a gathering of retired generals yesterday to mark the upcoming Armed Forces Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, Ma said that judging from recent developments, he is convinced that the United States will give a nod to Taiwan's arms procurement bid in the not too distant future.
"Recent signs show that the U.S. administrative department would notify Congress of its approval of our arms procurement package that covers seven types of weaponry," Ma told his audience.
The pending items are anti-tank missiles, Apache helicopters, Patriot PAC-3 missile batteries, diesel-powered submarines, P3C anti submarine aircraft and sea-launched Harpoon missiles and Black Eagle helicopters.
In his speech, Ma also said that recent improvements in relations across the Taiwan Strait should by no means be interpreted as a government attempt to give up efforts to enhance the country's defense capabilities.
Emphasizing the importance of honing the military's combat prowess and improving its defense arsenal, Ma said combat preparedness is not to wage war, but rather to deter war.
"Only with powerful defense muscle can we negotiate with strength in future cross-strait talks, " Ma explained, adding that Taiwan cannot afford to negotiate with weak military capabilities.
While Taiwan is more than willing to champion cross-strait reconciliation and pursue permanent peace on both the military and diplomatic fronts, Ma said, such lofty goals cannot be realized unilaterally.
Noting that upholding peace is at the core of commemorating the country's Sept. 3 Armed Forces Day, Ma said his administration will not miss any opportunity or possibility to advance or maintain permanent cross-strait peace.
Taiwan to cut military spending amid warming China ties: report
TAIPEI (AFP) — Taiwan plans to scale back its military spending in 2009 amid warming ties with rival China, it was reported Saturday.
Military spending will be 315.2 billion Taiwan dollars (10 billion US), a decline of 10.4 billion Taiwan dollars on this year, the United Daily News said, citing a draft budget pending parliament's approval.
It will account for 17.2 percent of next year's government budget, the report said, but the move has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers.
Report: Taiwan drops plan to develop missile that can hit China
Taipei - Taiwan has dropped plans to develop cruise missiles that can reach China, seen as the country's ongoing efforts to seek peace with China, a newspaper reported Monday.
The United Daily News quoted an unnamed military official as saying that Taipei has dropped plans to develop cruise missiles that have a range of 1,000 kilometres.
Since Ma Ying-jeou from the China-friendly Chinese Nationalist Party took office on May 20, he has been promoting greater exchanges with China to ease cross-Strait tension.
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President optimistic about U.S. arms sales
CNA
Sunday, August 31, 2008
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- President Ma Ying-jeou expressed optimism for the first time yesterday about the p
ossibility of the United States giving the green light for the sale of a package of weapon systems to Taiwan.
In recent weeks, Ma has repeatedly taken advantage of his meetings with visiting American congressional members and think tank scholars to urge the U.S. government to quickly approve the sale of seven categories of weapons that Taiwan intends to buy.
Addressing a gathering of retired generals yesterday to mark the upcoming Armed Forces Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, Ma said that judging from recent developments, he is convinced that the United States will give a nod to Taiwan's arms procurement bid in the not too distant future.
"Recent signs show that the U.S. administrative department would notify Congress of its approval of our arms procurement package that covers seven types of weaponry," Ma told his audience.
The pending items are anti-tank missiles, Apache helicopters, Patriot PAC-3 missile batteries, diesel-powered submarines, P3C anti submarine aircraft and sea-launched Harpoon missiles and Black Eagle helicopters.
In his speech, Ma also said that recent improvements in relations across the Taiwan Strait should by no means be interpreted as a government attempt to give up efforts to enhance the country's defense capabilities.
Emphasizing the importance of honing the military's combat prowess and improving its defense arsenal, Ma said combat preparedness is not to wage war, but rather to deter war.
"Only with powerful defense muscle can we negotiate with strength in future cross-strait talks, " Ma explained, adding that Taiwan cannot afford to negotiate with weak military capabilities.
While Taiwan is more than willing to champion cross-strait reconciliation and pursue permanent peace on both the military and diplomatic fronts, Ma said, such lofty goals cannot be realized unilaterally.
Noting that upholding peace is at the core of commemorating the country's Sept. 3 Armed Forces Day, Ma said his administration will not miss any opportunity or possibility to advance or maintain permanent cross-strait peace.
CNA
Sunday, August 31, 2008
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- President Ma Ying-jeou expressed optimism for the first time yesterday about the p
ossibility of the United States giving the green light for the sale of a package of weapon systems to Taiwan.
In recent weeks, Ma has repeatedly taken advantage of his meetings with visiting American congressional members and think tank scholars to urge the U.S. government to quickly approve the sale of seven categories of weapons that Taiwan intends to buy.
Addressing a gathering of retired generals yesterday to mark the upcoming Armed Forces Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, Ma said that judging from recent developments, he is convinced that the United States will give a nod to Taiwan's arms procurement bid in the not too distant future.
"Recent signs show that the U.S. administrative department would notify Congress of its approval of our arms procurement package that covers seven types of weaponry," Ma told his audience.
The pending items are anti-tank missiles, Apache helicopters, Patriot PAC-3 missile batteries, diesel-powered submarines, P3C anti submarine aircraft and sea-launched Harpoon missiles and Black Eagle helicopters.
In his speech, Ma also said that recent improvements in relations across the Taiwan Strait should by no means be interpreted as a government attempt to give up efforts to enhance the country's defense capabilities.
Emphasizing the importance of honing the military's combat prowess and improving its defense arsenal, Ma said combat preparedness is not to wage war, but rather to deter war.
"Only with powerful defense muscle can we negotiate with strength in future cross-strait talks, " Ma explained, adding that Taiwan cannot afford to negotiate with weak military capabilities.
While Taiwan is more than willing to champion cross-strait reconciliation and pursue permanent peace on both the military and diplomatic fronts, Ma said, such lofty goals cannot be realized unilaterally.
Noting that upholding peace is at the core of commemorating the country's Sept. 3 Armed Forces Day, Ma said his administration will not miss any opportunity or possibility to advance or maintain permanent cross-strait peace.
The Best Defense is a defense????
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Presidential Office skirts missile report
TOUGH TALKING: A KMT legislator said Taiwan should go ahead with plans to develop long-range missiles and that the president has yet to present a clear defense strategy
By Ko Shu-Ling
STAFF REPORTER, WITH AP
Tuesday, Sep 02, 2008, Page 3
The Presidential Office yesterday skirted speculation that the military has stopped developing offensive long-range missiles, but emphasized that Taiwan would not start a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.
The remarks came after a report by the Chinese-language China Times yesterday said the military had test-fired an advanced Hsiung Feng missile with a range of 800km in January, but had now halted work on it in line with President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) attempts to improve relations with China.
The Hsiung Feng IIE surface-to-surface cruise missile is a program that was started during the former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration.
RELIABLE SOURCES
The China Times report quoted “reliable sources” in the armed forces as saying that the military had planned to develop a model with a range of 1,000km, which would put Shanghai within its range.
However, they decided to halt the plans, taking into consideration improved cross-strait relations and a shift in military strategy to a more defensive stance.
Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) yesterday said the media should ask the Ministry of National Defense (MND) why it had decided to cease development of the missiles.
“The president’s defense policy is clear,” Wang said. “We will not take the initiative to attack, nor will we attack any non-military facilities.”
When asked whether the halt in development work was a gesture of goodwill toward Beijing, Wang said it would only help the country’s long-term development if cross-strait relations were to improve.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Shuai Hua-ming (帥化民) yesterday said Taiwan should go ahead with plans to develop the missiles.
“Because the mainland keeps developing missiles with higher precision and longer ranges, we must keep up our weapons programs intact,” Shuai, an influential retired army general, said.
Taiwan reportedly test-fired a Hsiung Feng IIE missile with a range of 600km in October 2004, but the military has never displayed or deployed it.
Shuai said Ma has yet to present a clear, plausible defense strategy even as he pursues a vaguely defined peace treaty with China.
BUDGET
Last week, the military proposed a defense budget for next year of NT$395.3 billion (US$12.5 billion), a decline of NT$53.9 billion (US$1.7 billion) from the previous year.
In response to the China Times report, the MND yesterday released a press statement, saying only that developing domestic-made weapons is in line with policy to protect the homeland.
The MND also said it “would not use weapons to attack civilian targets.”
Meanwhile, Wang yesterday dismissed speculation that Ma and the MND were inconsistent on the number of weapons the country is seeking to buy from the US.
While the MND has said that the US Congress is to review an eight-item purchase plan, Ma said on Saturday that all signs indicated that the White House would soon ask Congress to complete legal procedures for seven items that Taiwan has requested from Washington.
Wang said Ma and the MND only “talked about the same thing from different angles.”
Wang said the seven items Ma mentioned referred to the weapons the US Congress would agree to sell, while the eight items were what Taiwan would like to purchase from the US.
=====================================
Presidential Office skirts missile report
TOUGH TALKING: A KMT legislator said Taiwan should go ahead with plans to develop long-range missiles and that the president has yet to present a clear defense strategy
By Ko Shu-Ling
STAFF REPORTER, WITH AP
Tuesday, Sep 02, 2008, Page 3
The Presidential Office yesterday skirted speculation that the military has stopped developing offensive long-range missiles, but emphasized that Taiwan would not start a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.
The remarks came after a report by the Chinese-language China Times yesterday said the military had test-fired an advanced Hsiung Feng missile with a range of 800km in January, but had now halted work on it in line with President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) attempts to improve relations with China.
The Hsiung Feng IIE surface-to-surface cruise missile is a program that was started during the former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration.
RELIABLE SOURCES
The China Times report quoted “reliable sources” in the armed forces as saying that the military had planned to develop a model with a range of 1,000km, which would put Shanghai within its range.
However, they decided to halt the plans, taking into consideration improved cross-strait relations and a shift in military strategy to a more defensive stance.
Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) yesterday said the media should ask the Ministry of National Defense (MND) why it had decided to cease development of the missiles.
“The president’s defense policy is clear,” Wang said. “We will not take the initiative to attack, nor will we attack any non-military facilities.”
When asked whether the halt in development work was a gesture of goodwill toward Beijing, Wang said it would only help the country’s long-term development if cross-strait relations were to improve.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Shuai Hua-ming (帥化民) yesterday said Taiwan should go ahead with plans to develop the missiles.
“Because the mainland keeps developing missiles with higher precision and longer ranges, we must keep up our weapons programs intact,” Shuai, an influential retired army general, said.
Taiwan reportedly test-fired a Hsiung Feng IIE missile with a range of 600km in October 2004, but the military has never displayed or deployed it.
Shuai said Ma has yet to present a clear, plausible defense strategy even as he pursues a vaguely defined peace treaty with China.
BUDGET
Last week, the military proposed a defense budget for next year of NT$395.3 billion (US$12.5 billion), a decline of NT$53.9 billion (US$1.7 billion) from the previous year.
In response to the China Times report, the MND yesterday released a press statement, saying only that developing domestic-made weapons is in line with policy to protect the homeland.
The MND also said it “would not use weapons to attack civilian targets.”
Meanwhile, Wang yesterday dismissed speculation that Ma and the MND were inconsistent on the number of weapons the country is seeking to buy from the US.
While the MND has said that the US Congress is to review an eight-item purchase plan, Ma said on Saturday that all signs indicated that the White House would soon ask Congress to complete legal procedures for seven items that Taiwan has requested from Washington.
Wang said Ma and the MND only “talked about the same thing from different angles.”
Wang said the seven items Ma mentioned referred to the weapons the US Congress would agree to sell, while the eight items were what Taiwan would like to purchase from the US.