Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Missile project to wrap up early: sources

Taipei Times

A NT$16.9 billion (US$534.93 million) project to upgrade the military’s missile defense systems would be completed this year, allowing the deployment of at least 100 long-range Hsiung Sheng missiles and providing more deterrence against China, military sources said on Saturday.

Hsiung Sheng missiles are an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, and are believed to have a range of up to 1,200km, which would allow them to hit targets well inside China.

They went into mass production in 2022, the sources said.

Isolationism bad for US credibility

Ted Gover

US Congressional Republicans’ delay in approving aid to Ukraine and former US president Donald Trump’s comments about not protecting certain NATO member states have stirred doubts about Washington’s commitment to safeguarding the global order that it put in place after World War II.

In particular, the US’ friends in the Indo-Pacific region are questioning whether it is still willing to defend their mutual interests and way of life.

Ukraine’s efforts to protect itself as an independent, democratic nation are suffering setbacks due to a lack of ammunition from the US.

Thoughts on defending Taiwan

P.R. Shankar

It is well known that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) ambition is to rejuvenate the Chinese nation by unification of Taiwan, either peacefully or by force.

The peaceful option has virtually gone out of the window with the last presidential elections in Taiwan.

Taiwanese, especially the youth, are resolved not to be part of China. With time, this resolve has grown politically stronger. It leaves China with reunification by force as the default option.

Everyone tells me how and when mighty China would invade and overpower tiny Taiwan. However, I have rarely been told that Taiwan could be defended to defeat the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

‘Contempt of the legislature’ absurd

Carol Lin 林志潔

The opposition parties wished to expand the power of the Legislative Yuan — without a clear understanding of the differences between the Taiwanese and US systems — and proposed an amendment for a charge of “contempt of the legislature.”

This is akin to taping a dull vegetable knife to the end of a bamboo pole and calling it a spear.

It is true that the US has a “contempt of Congress” charge, but this was established under a separation of powers framework under the US constitution and was supplemented by the US Congress’ regulations and needs.

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