Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
March 2008 - Taiwan Special Weapons News
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- President to share secret information with president-elect CNA 31 Mar 2008 -- President Chen Shui-bian will share secret information on Taiwan's national defense and foreign diplomacy with president-elect Ma Ying-jeou when the two meet Tuesday morning.
- No peace agreement before China dismantles missiles: president-elect CNA 29 Mar 2008 -- President-elect Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang (KMT) is insisting that there will be no dialogue on the signing of a peace accord with China unless Beijing dismantles the missiles targeting Taiwan, said Ma's spokesman Luo Chih-chiang Saturday.
- Taiwan president-elect's visit request under consideration: U.S. CNA 29 Mar 2008 -- The U.S. government is still considering a request by Taiwan's President-elect Ma Ying-jeou to visit the United States before his May 20 inauguration, a U.S. State Department official said Friday.
- U.S. discussing Ma's visit request and who to send to inauguration CNA 28 Mar 2008 -- Taiwan President-elect Ma Ying-jeou's request for a U.S. visit is being discussed but a decision has not been made, the visiting American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) chairman said Friday, while adding that Washington was also trying to decide who to send to Ma's inauguration.
- President names a transition team CNA 28 Mar 2008 -- President Chen Shui-bian named a transition team Friday to prepare for transferring power to President-elect Ma Ying-jeou of the opposition Kuomintang May 20.
- U.S. upbeat on future cross-strait relations: AIT Chairman CNA 28 Mar 2008 -- Cross-Taiwan Strait and U.S.-Taiwan relations are expected to improve after Ma Ying-jeou takes office as Taiwan's new president, but the U.S. will not mediate talks between Taiwan and China, American Institute in Taipei (AIT)
- MND to complete probe into legality of controversial arms firm soon CNA 27 Mar 2008 -- Minister of National Defense Tsai Ming-shian said Thursday that the ministry should be able to complete a probe into suspected irregularities surrounding a controversial private arms firm in the next few days.
- U.S. has not decided on Taiwan president-elect's visit request: AIT CNA 27 Mar 2008 -- The U.S. government has not yet come to a decision on whether to approve Taiwan's President-elect Ma Ying-jeou's request to visit the United States before his May 20 inauguration, an American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) official said Thursday.
- Former defense head to be questioned over information leak CNA 26 Mar 2008 -- The controversy over a private arms firm dominated a legislative committee meeting Wednesday, amid reports that the military will soon investigate several of its ranking officials, including former Minister of National Defense Lee Tien-yu, on matters related to the firm.
- Taiwan returns missile components to U.S., MND confirms CNA 26 Mar 2008 -- A batch of four fuses used in triggers for nuclear weapons that the United States mistakenly shipped to Taiwan in 2006 have been returned to U.S. possession, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday.
- U.S. receives Taiwan president-elect's visit request: official CNA 26 Mar 2008 -- Washington has received a request by Taiwan's president-elect, Ma Ying-jeou, to visit the United States before his May 20 inauguration, a U.S. State Department official said Tuesday.
- New gov't to continue existing cooperation with allies: MOFA CNA 26 Mar 2008 -- President-elect Ma Ying-jeou has pledged that his incoming administration will continue existing cooperation projects with the country's diplomatic allies and honor the commitments made to them by the present administration, Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang said Wednesday.
- DPP lawmakers question whether MND exercising double standard CNA 26 Mar 2008 -- A group of ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators questioned Wednesday the Ministry of National Defense's (MND's) taking to task a conscript's appearance at a campaign rally while turning a blind eye to what they described as a similar case involving a senior general.
- DOD officials identify error in shipment to Taiwan AFPN 25 Mar 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today that four non-nuclear ballistic missile nose-cone assembly components were mistakenly shipped to Taiwan in August 2006.
- Transcript: DoD News Briefing on Mistaken Shipment to Taiwan with Secretary of Air Force Wynne, Lt. Gen. Ham and Principal Deputy Undersecretary Henry 25 Mar 2008 -- Presenter: Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne, Director for Operations, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lt. Gen. Carter Ham and Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Ryan Henry
- U.S. Regains Missile Parts; Gates Orders Investigation AFPS 25 Mar 2008 -- The U.S. military has regained control of four non-nuclear nose cone assemblies for a Minuteman missile mistakenly sent to Taiwan in 2006, Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne said during a news conference here today.
- US Mistakenly Ships Missile Parts to Taiwan VOA 25 Mar 2008 -- The Pentagon announced Tuesday it mistakenly shipped part of the triggering mechanism for four nuclear warheads to Taiwan a year and a half ago, and only realized the mistake last week and recovered the material in recent days
- F-16 jet fighter skids off runway, pilot unharmed CNA 25 Mar 2008 -- An F-16 fighter plane veered off the runway due to a suspected faulty braking system, but the pilot was unharmed, a spokesman of the Hualien Airport in eastern Taiwan said Tuesday.
- Cross-strait ties face politically sensitive future CNA 25 Mar 2008 -- With the political rancor and bitterness of the presidential campaign coming to an end with President-elect Ma Ying-jeou's victory on Saturday, the focus now is whether he can realize his vision of more cordial cross-Taiwan Strait relations.
- Sovereignty dispute may hinder cross-strait peace treaty: MAC CNA 24 Mar 2008 -- The incoming Kuomintang (KMT) administration will have difficulty pushing for the signing of a peace treaty with China, on the grounds that the cross-Taiwan Strait sovereignty dispute will not be resolved in the short term, a Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) official predicted Monday.
- Cross-strait ties remain a challenge after Taiwan election: official CNA 24 Mar 2008 -- There are still numerous challenges ahead in cross-Taiwan Strait relations although the outcome of Taiwan's just-concluded presidential election is a relief to China, Taiwan's representative to the United States said Saturday.
- Analysis: Politics in the Strait cfr.org 24 Mar 2008 -- Taiwan’s voters returned a Nationalist to office who promises a less confrontational approach to relations with mainland China
- Backgrounder: China-Taiwan Relations cfr.org 24 Mar 2008
- Pro-China opposition wins Taiwan presidential election RIA Novosti 22 Mar 2008 -- Taiwan's opposition candidate, who favors closer economic ties and eventual reunification with China, won a clear victory in Saturday's presidential election according to a partial vote count.
- Pro-China President Elected in Taiwan VOA 22 Mar 2008 -- Voters in Taiwan have elected as president the man who campaigned for closer economic ties with China
- Both U.N. bid referendums vetoed CNA 22 Mar 2008 -- Two controversial referendums on Taiwan's quest for U.N. membership failed to pass a legal threshold Saturday, marking yet another blow to the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration.
- Decisive election win puts KMT back in power CNA 22 Mar 2008 -- The Kuomintang's presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou scored an impressive victory in Taiwan's presidential election on Saturday, completing a remarkable return to power for a party that was knocked out of the Presidential Office in 2000 and had been consistently dogged by its authoritarian past.
- Biography of President-elect Ma Ying-jeou CNA 22 Mar 2008 -- Following is the biography of Ma Ying-jeou, from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), who won Saturday's presidential election in Taiwan, defeating the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's candidate Frank Hsieh.
- Whirlwind campaigning marks final day of tight race CNA 21 Mar 2008 -- One day before Taiwanese voters decide their new president, the two candidates and their campaigns were desperately battling for every vote in a race once considered a cakewalk for the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) but now seen as a potential toss-up.
- Transcript: A Conversation with Ma Ying-jeou cfr.org 20 Mar 2008
- Analysis: Politics in the Strait cfr.org 20 Mar 2008 -- The weekend presidential elections in Taiwan promise long-awaited changes in the tone of relations between the island and mainland China
- China's reaction to referendum unpredictable: MAC CNA 20 Mar 2008 -- It is virtually impossible to predict Beijing's reaction if either or both of the referendums pass in Saturday's election because it is a totalitarian regime, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairman Chen Ming-tong told a group of foreign reporters Thursday
- President urges U.S. not to adopt `double standard' toward Taiwan CNA 20 Mar 2008 -- President Chen Shui-bian expressed hope Thursday that the United States "will not adopt a double standard toward Taiwan" over its promotion of a referendum on a U.N. bid to be held alongside Saturday's presidential election.
- Taiwan's fate may worse than Tibet's under 'one China': DPP hopeful CNA 20 Mar 2008 -- Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh warned that if Taiwan accepts Beijing's "one-China principle " it may suffer a fate more miserable than that being borne by Tibet under the rule of China.
- Beijing suppression in Tibet will impact Taiwan voters: MAC chief CNA 20 Mar 2008 -- Beijing's recent crackdown on Tibetan protestors will influence Taiwanese voters' decisions in Saturday's presidential election and impact cross-Taiwan Strait ties, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairman Chen Ming-tong said Thursday.
- MND declines to comment on U.S. aircraft carrier movement CNA 20 Mar 2008 -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Thursday that it had no comment on reports of a U.S. aircraft carrier being deployed near the Taiwan Strait.
- Aircraft carrier patrol in Taiwan region `routine': U.S. official CNA 20 Mar 2008 -- Patrols around Taiwan by two U.S. aircraft carriers, including the USS Kitty Hawk CV-63, are part of routine drills, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Taipei Office Director Stephen Young said Thursday.
- China's Actions Against Tibet Overshadow Taiwan Elections VOA 20 Mar 2008 -- Taiwan's 17 million voters are expected go to the polls Saturday to elect a new president.
- U.S. expects cross-strait tensions to ease after Taiwan election CNA 12 Mar 2008 -- The United States thinks conflict in the Taiwan Strait is unlikely after the March 22 presidential election in Taiwan and believes cross-strait tensions will ease slightly, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday.
- President insists holding U.N. bid referendum poses no danger CNA 12 Mar 2008 -- President Chen Shui-bian has again defended the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) -initiated referendum on Taiwan's U.N. bid, saying it would not create tensions, as critics have contended.
- Flexible diplomacy is the way out for Taiwan: KMT candidate CNA 09 Mar 2008 -- Kuomintang presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou blasted China and the government for Taiwan's diplomatic predicament and argued that "flexible diplomacy" was the only way out for Taiwan, in a televised debate Sunday.
- Taiwan regrets EU statement about U.N. bid referendum CNA 08 Mar 2008 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) expressed regret Friday over a European Union statement that said Taiwan's upcoming referendum on joining the United Nations under the name of Taiwan "would risk increasing cross-strait tension."
- U.S. Congress passes resolution in support of Taiwan election CNA 06 Mar 2008 -- The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday in support of the March 22 presidential election in Taiwan.
- Taiwan to face mounted suppression if referendums fail: president CNA 06 Mar 2008 -- President Chen Shui-bian warned Thursday Taiwan will face even harsher suppression by China if the two upcoming referendums on the country's bid to join the United Nations fail.
- MAC rejects Hu's offer of peace talks under 'one China' principle CNA 05 Mar 2008 -- The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Wednesday rejected Chinese President Hu Jintao's offer the previous day for broad cross-strait peace talks under the "one China" principle, reiterating that Taiwan is an independent and sovereign country.
- Air force forms task force to investigate F-16 mishap CNA 05 Mar 2008 -- A special task force has been formed to investigate the disappearance of an F-16 jet fighter that lost contact with air traffic controllers during a routine night flying training drill, the Air Force announced Tuesday night.
- Taiwan loses fifth F-16 jet fighter CNA 04 Mar 2008 -- The F-16 jet fighter that lost contact with air traffic controllers during a night flying training exercise Tuesday was the fifth of Taiwan's F-16 fleet that has crashed over the past years, according to an air force official.
- Military continues search for missing F-16, pilot CNA 04 Mar 2008 -- Military and coast guard personnel continued a search in waters 42 nautical miles southeast of the eastern county of Hualien late Tuesday for a missing air force F-16 jet fighter and its pilot.
- MAC calls for world attention to China's real military buildup goal CNA 04 Mar 2008 -- A potential cross-Taiwan Strait conflict is only short-term goal of China's rapid military buildup and the international community should pay more attention to China's real objectives, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Tuesday.
- Face-to-face talks needed with China: ROC envoy CNA 04 Mar 2008 -- The Republic of China's representative to the United States, Joseph Wu, told a New York audience Monday that Taiwan's government wants to improve mutual understanding with China, but the lack of official contact between the two sides has made negotiations difficult.
- No unusual PLA troop movements detected ahead of election: MND CNA 04 Mar 2008 -- The Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday that no unusual People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements have been detected ahead of the March 22 presidential election in Taiwan.
- President rejects report about possible military personnel change CNA 04 Mar 2008 -- President Chen Shui-bian denied Tuesday he has any plans to replace Chief of the General Staff Huo Shou-yeh.
