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Ministry of National Defense spokesman Yu Sy-tue Feb. 9 dismissed a media report that Taiwan had withdrawn its request for U.S. submarines. Yu said Taiwan still expects Washington to abide by the Taiwan Relations Act and continue to supply defensive arms to the island, including F-16 C/D fighter jets and diesel-electric submarines. Reuters quoted a military source in Taipei Feb. 9 as saying in 2008 defense officials took part in a study with U.S. counterparts on how to upgrade the island’s submarine fleet, to bridge the gap with Beijing’s military capabilities, but now Taiwan’s government will no longer push for...

An unprecedented decision by the Bush administration to allow serving military officers to work at the United States' de facto embassy to Taiwan would "poison" ties between Beijing and Washington, China has charged. For the first time since the U.S. ended its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in favor of communist China almost 27 years ago, a serving military officer will shortly join the staff of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a quasi-official organization set up by Congress to fulfill the functions of an embassy in Taipei. Taiwanese media quoted AIT spokeswoman Nadine Saik as confirming that a U.S. Army...

U.S. won't cut troop levels in OkinawaThe Yomiuri Shimbun The United States, citing a possible surprise assault on Taiwan by China's special forces as a realistic scenario, has told Japan it will be difficult to reduce or relocate to the Japanese mainland any of its marine corps combat units stationed in Okinawa, government sources said Wednesday. Washington has made this position on the marines in Okinawa known to the Japanese side through bilateral talks including consultations over the realignment of U.S. troops and their bases in Japan, the sources said. The United States has about 18,000 marines stationed in Okinawa....

Taiwan is no longer a passive element in US strategy. That, at least, seems to be the message behind the recent visit to the US by Minister of National Defense Tang Yao-ming (´öÂ`©ú). It wasn't a hush-hush affair, as Tang met high-level officials of the US defense department. And Taipei is being encouraged to speed up its defense modernization. In other words, the US is no longer squeamish about weapons sales to Taiwan. This is in sharp contrast to the defensive posture of the administration of former US president Bill Clinton, which tried hard to mollify Beijing on the Taiwan...