Day: July 19, 2022

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (???) referenced the war in Ukraine and blamed China's military sorties near Taiwan for harming cross-strait ties in a speech at the final Taipei-Shanghai twin-city forum of his tenure on Tuesday.

The annual forum, which has taken place alternately in Taipei or Shanghai since 2010, was held virtually for the third consecutive year on Tuesday due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his keynote speech at the event, Ko, who will leave office in December after eight years as Taipei mayor, warned that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war should give both sides "cause for reflection" with regards to the current state of the cross-Strait relationship.

In spite of the two sides' close economic and trade ties and frequent people-to-people interactions, Ko said, in recent years, the broader relationship has been caught in a deepening "spiral of malice."

Issues such as Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA), the incursions of Chinese military aircraft near Taiwan, and Chinese import bans on some of Taiwan's agricultural products have become major points of contention and harmed relations between people from the two sides, he said.

Ko warned that if the two sides continue to quarrel, ignore each other, or engage in "political manipulation," the situation will only get worse.

"We can diverge politically, but [our] people should not see each other as enemies," he said, instead advocating for a process of "building goodwill through exchanges" in order to minimize the potential for conflict or war.

In his own remarks, Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng (??) said that the cross-strait points of contention raised by Ko "have already found satisfactory resolutions in the past."

He appeared to be referring to the 2008-2016 period under Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) government, when relations between Taipei and Beijing were warmer, allowing for Taiwan's participation in organizations such as the WHA as an observer.

"These problems demonstrate once again that cross-Strait exchanges cannot be removed from a shared foundation in politics," he said.

Instead, Gong reaffirmed the notion that "the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family," and praised the forum as an opportunity for the sides to better understand each other and build goodwill.

After the forum concluded, media coverage in Taiwan centered on the perception that Ko had taken a stronger, more confrontational stance against China than in previous years.

When asked about this by local media later on Tuesday, Ko said that because the meeting was conducted virtually, "a lot of things had to be said in the open" that could otherwise have been discussed in private.

"My purpose today was to express some of the grievances of the Taiwanese people," said Ko, who has been open about the fact that he is considering a presidential run in 2024, likely as the nominee of his centrist Taiwan People's Party.

Ko was also asked to respond to criticism from Taipei mayoral candidate Chen Shih-chung (???), who had earlier dismissed as "sophistry" Ko's complaint, made last week, that the government's frequent characterization of Chinese warplanes as "harassing Taiwan" lacked a clear definition.

"If Chen Shih-chung wants, he can just say directly that he'll stop holding the forum," Ko said, possibly implying that Chen's criticism reflected a hard stance against China. "If he's up to it, he can even chase all the Chinese businesspeople in Taipei back [to China]!"

Chen, who is running for mayor in November's local government election in the capital city as the nominee of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after having served as health minister until this month, said Tuesday that he was not opposed in principle to the forum, as long as it was "necessary" and "meaningful."

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

Visiting former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Tuesday called on Taiwan's government to extend its existing four-month mandatory military training for conscripts to at least one year and to include women in such training in order to build a stronger defense against possible Chinese invasion.

"I believe that Taiwan needs to lengthen and toughen its conscription. That means to have young Taiwanese boys and girls serve at least one year if not longer, in their nation's military," Esper told reporters in Taipei.

Esper made the remarks during a press conference when asked to comment on how Taiwan can beef up its defense capabilities to better deter Beijing.

Currently, only Taiwanese men over 18 have to serve four months of military training.

Taiwanese women can choose to join the armed forces. The latest numbers show that of the over 180,000 military personnel in Taiwan, 15 percent are female.

Asked if he was suggesting both Taiwanese men and women should undergo compulsory military training, Esper told CNA that it is a decision for Taiwan's political leaders to make but he believes it is a necessary move.

"Women made tremendous contributions in our [U.S.] military and so I'm just articulating my view that I think you should probably make the best of your population," he said.

Citing the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine as an example, "Russians are making no discrimination between men and women, between children and seniors," he stressed.

Should China invade, it will be a matter of national survival and "it's going to be every man, woman and child fighting not just to preserve their country but their lives," he added.

Esper's comments coincide with recent calls made by Taiwanese lawmakers across party lines amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine after having seen Ukrainians put up a strong resistance.

Taiwanese men initially had to serve two to three years in the military as part of a conscription system adopted by the Republic of China government after it relocated to Taiwan in 1949.

Conscription in Taiwan was reduced to one year in 2008.

During the previous Kuomintang (KMT) administration under President Ma Ying-jeou (???), who was in power from 2008-2016, the government announced it would turn the nation's armed forces into a fully voluntary one in which conscripts are only required to undergo four months of military training starting in 2013.

The nation's military is currently a mainly volunteer force, with conscripts serving in a supporting role.

Meanwhile, Esper on Tuesday also called on Taiwan to significantly increase its defense budget, to procure and/or produce the capabilities consistent with an asymmetric warfare approach, including buying javelin, anti-tank system Stinger anti-air systems, and to revitalize and activate its reserve mobilization, as a stronger deterrent to China.

Asked by CNA how big an increase in the defense budget he believed was necessary, the former U.S. official said he hesitated to throw out a number without seeing what the strategy looks like.

However, he said that Taiwan should at least match U.S. defense expenditure, which stands at 3.2 percent of annual GDP, "to send a very powerful message about the seriousness of Taiwan's commitment."

Taiwan's annual defense spending is currently about 2 percent of GDP.

Esper said it seems like a lot of money to spend on defense, but national survival is at stake.

"It may not be done in one year. So that's what it means to grow, grow serve, so that you can make sure that you can address the conventional capabilities you need, particularly the asymmetrical capabilities that you need," he added.

Esper served as U.S. defense chief from 2019 to 2020 under former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Leading a delegation from the Atlantic Council, Esper arrived in Taipei on Monday for a four-day visit that will include discussions with Taiwan government officials and politicians about trade, economic, diplomatic and security issues.

He is joined by Barry Pavel, senior vice president and director of the Atlantic Council, and Stefano Stefanini, former permanent representative of Italy to NATO and currently a nonresident senior fellow at the think tank.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) reiterated Tuesday that "only the people of Taiwan can determine its future," after the European Union's incoming ambassador to China indicated support for "peaceful reunification" in an interview with a Spanish newspaper.

Jorge Toledo Albignana, who previously served as Spain's ambassador to Japan, told La Vanguardia in an interview published Sunday that the EU would support "peaceful reunification" instead of independence for Taiwan.

Asked to comment on Albignana's remarks, MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou (???) underlined Taiwan's right to self-determination, adding that it was "a sovereign and democratic country and has never been part of the People's Republic of China (PRC)."

It is unclear whether Albignana, who had been asked how the EU would react in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, was reflecting official policy or speaking in a personal capacity.

The EU did not issue an immediate response to the incoming envoy's remarks.

Despite underlining the bloc's commitment to a "one China" policy, Albignana said that any resort to force by Beijing would result in the EU introducing "the same or even more serious measures" than those imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

During a previous phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (??) on Sept. 28, 2021, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stressed that the bloc had always had and would maintain a "One China" policy, without clarifying if this included support for reunification.

At the same time, Borrell said the EU and its member states had an interest in developing cooperation with Taiwan, a like-minded and important economic partner in the region, "without any recognition of statehood."

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

Taiwan's newly formed Friends of Shinzo Abe Association will establish a scholarship for young Japanese people to study in Taiwan to enhance their understanding of the country and experience Taiwanese culture, the group said in a statement issued Tuesday.

Under the association's current plan, it will offer scholarships to 10 young Japanese people per year to study at universities in Taiwan for at least one year, with the annual scholarship capped at 1 million Japanese yen (US$7,258.72) for each person, according to association head Mark Chen (???).

Chen served as Taiwan's foreign minister from 2004-2006 under President Chen Shui-bian (???) from the Democratic Progressive Party.

The scholarship scheme aims to encourage more Japanese youths to study in Taiwan and enhance their knowledge and understanding of the country, according to the association, which was founded in June.

The plan was formulated after the association raised funds from Taiwanese businesses for a full-page advertisement in the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun on July 15 paying tribute to former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Abe, known for his pro-Taiwan stance, was shot dead July 8 at the age of 67 during a campaign speech on a street in Nara, near Osaka ahead of the Diet's upper house elections in Japan, which took place July 10.

The association said that from a national security perspective, Taiwan should depend not only on the government but also the private sector to help advance relations with Japan.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) is seeing yet another change in its top positions, as two deputy ministers of government were appointed Tuesday to replace its second-in-command.

Transportation and economic deputy ministers Chen Yen-po (???) and Chen Cherng-chyi (???) will fill the post left vacant after the resignation of Chen Tsung-yen (???) on Monday, the CECC said.

The replacement of Chen Tsung-yen (???), who is deputy interior minister, followed the appointment of Victor Wang (???) as the new head of the CECC on July 15.

In announcing his two new deputies on Tuesday, Wang said Chen Yen-po will oversee the CECC's tourism policies, hotel management, border controls, and logistics, while Chen Cherng-chyi will handle the acquisition of medical supplies and coordinate the center's efforts to boost the economy.

On the question of whether the new deputy appointments signaled a change in the CECC's direction, Wang did not give a direct answer, saying only that the CECC's charter allows for the appointment of one to three deputies to meet changing responses as the COVID-19 situation evolves.

Tourism and economic stimulus measures are central to Taiwan's efforts to alleviate the negative effects of the pandemic on the domestic economy, Wang said.

The new CECC deputies have practical experience in those two areas, and their many years of public service make them ideal choices to lead the CECC's efforts in that regard, he said.

Wang was appointed last week as head of the CECC, replacing then Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (???), who resigned from both posts on July 14 to run for the Taipei mayoral seat in the November local government elections.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel