Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
April 2005 Taiwan Special Weapons News
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- TAIWAN MUST MAINTAIN PROPER DEFENSE CAPABILITIES: KMT CNA 30 Apr 2005 -- Taiwan must maintain proper defense capabilities to ensure its security until the termination of cross-Taiwan Strait military confrontation, opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers said Saturday.
- Historic Enemies Meet in Beijing VOA 29 Apr 2005 -- Leaders of China's historic enemies, the Communist party and the Taiwan-based Nationalist party, the Kuomintang, have held a historic meeting in Beijing.
- NEW COAST GUARD PATROL SHIP COMMISSIONED CNA 29 Apr 2005 -- Premier Frank Hsieh presided over the commissioning of a new locally built coast guard patrol vessel at a shipyard in the southern port city of Kaohsiung Friday.
- MARINES FORM NEW RAPID-RESPONSE BRIGADE CNA 29 Apr 2005 -- The Marine Corps formed a new rapid-response brigade Friday to cope with contingencies in northern Taiwan.
- Taiwan's Nationalist Party Leader Prepares for Historic Meeting with China's President Hu VOA 28 Apr 2005 -- Taiwan's Nationalist Party leader Lien Chan is preparing to deliver a message of peace to Chinese President Hu Jintao. Analysts are calling the meeting - scheduled for Friday in Beijing - a landmark in relations between two longtime enemies.
- BEIJING'S 'ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS' FORMULA POINTLESS: PRESIDENT CNA 28 Apr 2005 -- Beijing's "one country, two systems" unification formula has been proven pointless since Hong Kong and Macau returned to Beijing's rule in 1997 and 1999, respectively, President Chen Shui-bian said Thursday.
- Taiwan Nationalist Leader Lien Becomes First to Visit Mainland China Since 1949 VOA News 26 Apr 2005 -- The head of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang has arrived in China - the first such visit by a nationalist party leader since the end of the Chinese civil war 56 years ago.
- Taiwan President Okays Opposition Leader's Trip to China VOA News 25 Apr 2005 -- Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has voiced acceptance of opposition leader Lien Chan's planned visit to China.
- LAWMAKERS URGE MND NOT TO COMPROMISE ON LAFAYETTE COMMISSION CASE CNA 23 Apr 2005 -- Two lawmakers familiar with military affairs urged the Ministry of National Defense (MND) Saturday to defend national interests in negotiating the Lafayette frigate kickback case with French authorities.
- U.S. HAS 'CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES' TO HELP TAIWAN'S DEFENSE: RICE CNA 21 Apr 2005 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a recent interview with CNN in Moscow that the United States has certain responsibilities under the Taiwan Relations Act to help Taiwan defend itself if it is attacked.
's "Han Kuang 21" series of military exercises.
- CHINA WILL HAVE TO TALK WITH TAIWAN'S ELECTED LEADERS: U.S. OFFICIAL CNA 20 Apr 2005 -- Chinese leaders will ultimately have to talk with popularly elected leaders in Taiwan if they want their engagements with Taiwan's opposition figures to be productive, a U.S. State Department official said Tuesday.
- TAIWAN APPRECIATES U.S. SUPPORT FOR ITS WHO BID CNA 20 Apr 2005 -- Taiwan's health officials and medical workers took heart Wednesday upon hearing of a United States official's public support for the country's bid to join the World Health Assembly (WHA).
- U.S. GROUP OBSERVING COMPUTERIZED WARGAMES CNA 19 Apr 2005 -- An American military adviser group is observing a computer simulation that is part of Taiwan's annual "Han Kuang 21" military exercise, a legislator of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said Tuesday.
- MND MUM ON REPORT ABOUT U.S. OFFICERS OBSERVING WAR SIMULATIONS CNA 19 Apr 2005 -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) declined to comment Tuesday on a Japanese media report that a delegation from the U.S. Pacific Command has arrived in Taipei to observe Taiwan
- HAN KUANG 21' MILITARY DRILLS BEGIN WITH COMPUTER SIMULATIONS CNA 18 Apr 2005 -- The computer simulation part of the "Han Kuang 21" military exercise began in various tactical command centers around the country Monday, a spokesman for the military said Monday.
- CCP DISARMING TAIWAN-TARGETED MISSILES AN OPEN QUESTION: KMT CNA 16 Apr 2005 -- It is uncertain whether opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan will urge China to dismantle its missiles targeting Taiwan during his planned visit to the mainland, a party official said Saturday.
- LIFTING ARMS SALES BAN HAS BECOME DIFFICULT FOR EU: ROC ENVOY CNA 15 Apr 2005 -- It has become difficult for the 25 member states of the European Union to reach a consensus on a lifting of the arms sales ban on China due to several factors, Taiwan's top envoy to the EU and Belgium said in Brussels Thursday.
- TAIWAN STRAIT STABILITY CONDITION FOR E.U. TO LIFT CHINA ARMS BAN CNA 15 Apr 2005 -- German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said Thursday during a debate at the German Parliament that stability in the Taiwan Strait is a condition for the European Union to lift its arms sales ban on China.
- VP: TAIWAN HAS BEEN INDEPENDENT SINCE 1945 CNA 14 Apr 2005 -- Taiwan has been independent since 1945 when Japan surrendered at the end of the World War II, Vice President Annette Lu claimed Thursday.
- MILITARY'S ROLE IS TO DEFEND ROC AGAINST EXTERNAL THREATS: HUO CNA 13 Apr 2005 -- Vice Minister of National Defense Huo Shou-yeh said Wednesday that, as stated in the Republic of China Constitution, the armed forces' mission is to defend the nation's security.
- BEIJING'S COMMENTS ON 'SEVEN-POINT CONCLUSION' UNACCEPTABLE: MAC CNA 13 Apr 2005 -- China's comments on Taiwan's "seven-point conclusion" on engagements across the Taiwan Strait in the wake of Beijing's enactment of its anti-secession law are "unacceptable, " a senior Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) official said Wednesday.
- U.S. ARMY MOVE A RESPONSE TO CROSS-STRAIT TENSIONS: LEGISLATORS CNA 13 Apr 2005 -- A move by the United States Army to transfer a branch of its command headquarters from the United States to Japan is to deal with any contingency across the Taiwan Strait and on the Korea peninsula, two legislators said Wednesday.
- E.U. SEES DIFFICULTIES IN LIFTING ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST CHINA: MOFA CNA 12 Apr 2005 -- The European Union (E. U.) has seen growing difficulties regarding a proposed lifting of its arms embargo against mainland China following Beijing's enactment of the Anti- Secession Law against Taiwan, an official from Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.
- CABINET TO CONDUCT FIRST-EVER ANTI-TERRORISM DRILL CNA 12 Apr 2005 -- The Cabinet will conduct its first-ever anti-terrorism drill starting Wednesday after more than three months of preparations, Cabinet spokesman Cho Jung-tai said Tuesday.
- AIR FORCE TO FEEL THE PINCH IF CHINA BUYS MIRAGE 2000-9CSs: OFFICIAL CNA 11 Apr 2005 -- The ROC Air Force will feel the pinch if China acquires French-made Mirage 2000-9CS jet fighters, the chief of staff at the ROC Air Force General Headquarters said Monday.
- XINHUA, PEOPLE'S DAILY TAIWAN COVERAGE TO BE HALTED: MAC CHIEF CNA 10 Apr 2005 -- The head of the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced Sunday that a program allowing two major Chinese news media organizations to station staff in Taiwan will be halted temporarily in an effort to protect the national dignity and interests of Taiwan.
- VICE DEFENSE MINISTER URGES QUICK PASSAGE OF ARMS PROCUREMENT PLAN CNA 09 Apr 2005 -- Vice Defense Minister Tsai Ming-hsien on Saturday urged the Legislative Yuan to pass the bill for a major arms procurement plan quickly.
- U.S. AGAINST ANY MOVES TO ALTER MILITARY BALANCE IN TAIWAN STRAIT CNA 08 Apr 2005 -- A high-ranking U.S. State Department official said Wednesday that the United States does not welcome any efforts that might alter the military balance in the Taiwan Strait.
- ANTI-SECESSION LAW AFFECTS E.U. LIFTING OF CHINA ARMS BAN: MAC CNA 08 Apr 2005 -- China's enactment of a law authorizing the use of non-peaceful means against Taiwan has derailed progress in the European Union's plan to lift its arms embargo against China, Taiwan's top mainland policy planner said Friday.
- CROSS-STRAIT EXCHANGES SHOULD ABIDE BY LAW: PRESIDENT CNA 05 Apr 2005 -- President Chen Shui-bian convened a major meeting Tuesday in which the participants reached a seven-point conclusion, including that cross-Taiwan Strait exchanges should abide by the law.
- PRESIDENT TRYING TO PREVENT BEIJING INTERFERING IN TAIWAN POLITICS CNA 05 Apr 2005 -- President Chen Shui-bian continued trying to prevent Beijing from interfering in Taiwan's politics by convening a major meeting of officials from the Presidential Office, the Executive Yuan and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Tuesday, a DPP official said.
- TAIWAN EVALUATING IMPACT OF CHINA'S ANTI-SECESSION LAW: MOFA CNA 01 Apr 2005 -- Minister of Foreign Affairs Tan Sun Chen said Friday that the government will take proper measures concerning cross-Taiwan Strait exchanges after completing its assessment of the impact of China's Anti-Secession Law.
