By Aaron Tu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe air force last year spent about 1,000 training flight hours on intercepting Chinese military aircraft in airspace near Taiwan, the Ministry of National Defense said in a report to the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
Air force training hours diverted to interceptions taipeitimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from taipeitimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The US government has embarked on a policy of “selective strategic clarity” toward Taiwan after former US secretary of defense Robert Gates recommended that Washington end strategic ambiguity, national security researcher Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said yesterday.
Gates said in a live interview with the Washington Post on Sunday that the US should “think seriously” about abandoning “our long-time strategy” of maintaining ambiguity regarding its military stance toward the Taiwan Strait.
“[Washington ought to] basically tell the Chinese that if, unprovoked, they take actions against Taiwan, the United States will be there to support Taiwan, and at the same time tell the Taiwanese
Soldiers take to paintball to help blow off steam
By Aaron Tu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Survival games are becoming a widely accepted pastime among military personnel, as they help foster camaraderie and give soldiers a way to blow off steam while staying in line with Ministry of National Defense policies, sources said.
Paintball, with a variety of game modes, allows military enthusiasts to simulate a battlefield, which they often further enhance by wearing military-like gear, including goggles, camouflage, tactical vests and other items.
The 269th and 333rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, the Kinmen Defense Command, the army’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense training center and the communication, electronics and information division have all established clubs for these kinds of games, the sources said.
New MAC minister eyes end to impasse
‘BE MORE PRACTICAL’: Beijing’s insistence on the ‘1992 consensus’ and ‘one China’ as the basis for exchanges is detrimental to cross-strait relations, Chiu Tai-san said
Staff writer, with CNA
New Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) yesterday at his swearing-in ceremony pledged to do his best to break the cross-Taiwan Strait impasse without sacrificing the nation’s sovereignty, but offered no specifics on how he planned to achieve it.
Former National Security Council adviser Chiu said in his address that Taiwanese and Chinese are anxiously hoping that they can resume normal exchanges once the COVID-19 pandemic is properly contained, pledging to do his best to meet the public’s expectations to end the cross-strait standoff and improve ties, while upholding Taiwan’s sovereignty and democratic system.