Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

US NDAA draft to bolster Taiwan security

Taipei Times

The US Congress has released a new draft of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes up to US$1 billion in funding for Taiwan-related security cooperation next year.

The version published on Sunday by US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson removed earlier language that would have invited Taiwan to participate in the US-led Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC).

A statement on Johnson’s Web page said the NDAA “enhances U.S. defense initiatives in the Indo-Pacific to bolster Taiwan’s defense and support Indo-Pacific allies.”

Fears over Taiwan as a chip risk misplaced

Hsiao Hsi-huei 蕭錫惠

Alarm bells over a “hollowing out” of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and US demands for “protection money” have fueled a panic over Taiwan. To understand how misplaced these fears are, consider the movements of global technology giants.

Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳), Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) CEO Lisa Su (蘇姿丰) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) could undoubtedly understand the situation best, and they continue to make key investments in Taiwan.

They do not make decisions on a whim. They are the architects of global computing power strategy and possess the highest levels of industry knowledge. No matter what political pundits might write, they know that Taiwan is not an industry risk — it is its center of gravity.

KMT’s ‘one China’ ambiguity

Taipei Times Editorial

Ho Ying-lu (何鷹鷺), a Chinese spouse who was a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Central Standing Committee, on Wednesday last week resigned from the KMT, accusing the party of failing to clarify its “one China” policy.

In a video released in October, Ho, wearing a T-shirt featuring a portrait of Mao Zedong (毛澤東), said she hoped that Taiwan would “soon return to the embrace of the motherland” and “quickly unify — that is my purpose and my responsibility.”

The KMT’s Disciplinary Committee on Nov. 19 announced that Ho had been suspended from the her position on the committee, although she was allowed her to continue her duties while she pursued an appeal.

Military disloyalty not free speech: DPP

Taipei Times

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers have proposed revising military laws to stipulate that any active-duty military personnel who express allegiance to the enemy could face two to seven years in prison, adding that soldiers’ loyalty to the nation means “no freedom of expression.”

In the past few years some military personnel have pledged allegiance to China through videos and documents, but it is not punishable under the law.

In its draft amendment to Article 24 of the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍刑法), the Ministry of National Defense proposed only making actions that “harm the military’s interests” punishable, citing freedom of speech in its reasoning for the draft amendment.

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