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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)


December 2005 Taiwan Special Weapons News

  • NO POWERFUL NATIONAL DEFENSE, NO STABLE CROSS-STRAIT TIES: DPP CAUCUS CNA 21 Dec 2005 -- Taiwan must have a credible defense or there will be no stability in cross-Taiwan Strait ties, a high-ranking ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) official said Saturday.
  • MND TO ADJUST STANCE ON ARMS PROCUREMENT BUDGETING CNA 23 Dec 2005 -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) is willing to adjust its budget planning in order to win legislative support for a long-stalled arms procurement project, a senior military official said Thursday.
  • MA, SOONG CONTINUE OPPOSING MILITARY PURCHASE AT 'EXORBITANT PRICES' CNA 23 Dec 2005 -- The leaders of Taiwan's two main opposition parties reiterated Thursday that while they believe the nation needs to maintain appropriate defense capabilities, they remain opposed to the plan of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to procure weapons at what they said were "exorbitant prices."
  • SPEAKER CALLS FOR NEGOTIATIONS TO AVOID SHOWDOWN ON ARMS BILL CNA 23 Dec 2005 -- Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng called Friday for negotiations between the "pan-green camp" led by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the "pan-blue alliance" led by the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) in order to avoid a showdown vote over the arms procurement bill.
  • NATIONAL IDENTITY DISPARITY THREATENS NATIONAL SECURITY: PRESIDENT CNA 23 Dec 2005 -- President Chen Shui-bian said Friday that the national identity disparity among the Taiwan people is posing the greatest challenge to the country's security.
  • OPPOSITION GOING AGAINST THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE ON ARMS BILL: HSIEH CNA 23 Dec 2005 -- The opposition's vote Friday to end a meeting to discuss the controversial arms bill before it had really even begun goes against the wishes of the electorate and is damaging the efficacy of the legislative body, Premier Frank Hsieh said Friday.
  • MA, SOONG CONTINUE OPPOSING MILITARY PURCHASE AT 'EXORBITANT PRICES' CNA 22 Dec 2005 -- The leaders of Taiwan's two main opposition parties reiterated Thursday that while they believe the nation needs to maintain appropriate defense capabilities, they remain opposed to the plan of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to procure weapons at what they said were "exorbitant prices."
  • PASSAGE OF ARMS BILL KEY FOR U.S., NOT NATURE OF BUDGET: MND CNA 21 Dec 2005 -- The United States is looking forward to a quick passage of a major arms procurement bill by Taiwan's legislature, but it does not care about whether it is financed by a regular or special budget, Vice Minister of National Defense (MND) Tsai Ming-shien said Wednesday.
  • 'PAN-GREEN' LAWMAKERS FORCE ARMS BILL ONTO LEGISLATIVE AGENDA CNA 20 Dec 2005 -- "Pan-green" camp legislators pulled a fast one on their opposition "pan-blue alliance" colleagues at the Legislative Yuan's Procedures Committee Tuesday by calling for a snap vote on the long-stalled arms purchase bill when some opposition legislators were away at another meeting.
  • U.S. CONCERNED ABOUT ARMS PROCUREMENT BILL: MOFA CNA 20 Dec 2005 -- Washington is concerned about progress in a major arms procurement bill stalled in Taiwan's legislature that would allow billions of dollars in arms purchases from the United States, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.
  • SNAP VOTE ON ARMS BILL NOT AIMED AT PROVOKING PARTISAN STRIFE: DPP CNA 20 Dec 2005 -- The railroading of two long-stalled bills through the Legislative Yuan's Rules Committee was aimed at spotlighting the opposition "pan-blue alliance's" absurdity and irrationality, not to provoke an interparty stand-off, a ruling party official said Tuesday.
  • INVESTIGATION TASK FORCE TO BE FORMED OVER NAVY PURCHASE PLAN CNA 19 Dec 2005 -- The Legislative Yuan's National Defense Committee decided Monday to form a seven-member investigative task force aimed at clarifying doubts on the ROC Navy's "Kuang-hua Six" plan to purchase a fleet of fast-attack missile boats.
  • DPP LEGISLATOR COMES UP WITH NEW PLAN ON MILITARY PROCUREMENT CNA 19 Dec 2005 -- Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Wen-chung came up with a three-point plan Monday to address a long-stalled arms procurement project.
  • HOW U.S. ARMS PACKAGE IS FUNDED MAY BE IMMATERIAL: KMT CHAIRMAN CNA 18 Dec 2005 -- Changing the funding method for the administration's U.S. arms procurement bill from a special military budget to a regular Ministry of National Defense budget will not necessarily make the package more acceptable to the opposition- controlled legislature, opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou said Sunday.
  • DEFENSE BUDGET TO BE BOOSTED TO 3% OF GDP BY 2008: PRESIDENT CNA 17 Dec 2005 -- The nation's defense spending will be increased to 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2008 as part of the government's efforts to boost Taiwan's defense capability, President Chen Shui-bian said Saturday.
  • OPPOSITION SHOULD MAKE CLEAR ITS STANCE ON ARMS PURCHASE PLAN: DPP CNA 17 Dec 2005 -- A ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator said Saturday that the opposition parties should express their real stance regarding the arms procurement plan so that the administration can make necessary changes.
  • PAN-BLUE TO CONSIDER ARMS BILL IF DEFENSE SPENDING UPPED TO 3% OF GDP CNA 17 Dec 2005 -- The opposition "pan-blue alliance" of the Kuomintang (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) will consider allowing debate on the administration's major arms purchase bill at the legislature if the administration immediately boosts defense spending to 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) , a senior KMT official said Saturday.
  • NAMING DESTROYERS AFTER TAIWAN PORTS SIGNIFICANT: PRESIDENT CNA 17 Dec 2005 -- President Chen Shui-bian said Saturday that the four Kidd-class destroyers purchased from the United States will be named after various Taiwanese ports, which he stressed has significant meaning.
  • TWO KIDD-CLASS DESTROYERS TO BE COMMISSIONED SATURDAY CNA 16 Dec 2005 -- A pair of Kidd-class destroyers purchased from the United States and delivered to Taiwan near the start of this month are scheduled to be commissioned at the northeastern military base of Keelung Saturday, Republic of China Navy sources said Friday.
  • TAIWAN TO BUILD AIRPORT IN SPRATLYS CNA 15 Dec 2005 -- Vice Minister of National Defense Huo Shou-yeh confirmed Thursday that the government will build an airport on one of the biggest islets of the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
  • SUCCESS OF WEAPONS PROCUREMENT BILL HINGES ON ADMINISTRATION: KMT CNA 14 Dec 2005 -- The success of the arms procurement bill hinges on the decisions made by the administration rather than on U.S. opinions, opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou said Wednesday.
  • KMT LAWMAKERS SHARE DIFFERING OPINIONS ON U.S. MILITARY PROCUREMENT CNA 14 Dec 2005 -- The long-stalled U.S. arms procurement package could be put forward in a regular annual military budget instead of a special one, two opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers said Wednesday.
  • KEYSER'S GUILTY PLEA WON'T AFFECT TAIWAN-U.S. RELATIONS: REP OFFICE CNA 13 Dec 2005 -- Taiwan's Representative Office in the United States refused Monday to comment on a case related to the guilty plea made in U.S. federal court by a former ranking U.S. official, stressing that the island's relations with the United States will not be affected by the case.
  • TAIWAN-U.S. TIES WON'T BE AFFECTED SERIOUSLY BY KEYSER CASE: DIPLOMAT CNA 13 Dec 2005 -- An ROC diplomat admitted on Wednesday that the case concerning a former ranking U.S. official, who admitted Tuesday in court his guilt on three charges in connection with Taiwan's intelligence personnel, affects Taiwan-U.S. relations, but the damage is under control.
  • FORMER US DIPLOMAT ADMITS RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL CNA 13 Dec 2005 -- A former senior official at the State Department admitted in court Monday that he had a personal relationship with a Taiwanese woman intelligence official stationed in Washington, D.C.
  • TWO KIDD-CLASS DESTROYERS ARRIVE AT SUAO NAVAL BASE FROM THE U.S. CNA 08 Dec 2005 -- Two of the four Kidd-class destroyers that Taiwan purchased from the United States in 2003 arrived at the northeastern military base of Suao Thursday.
  • TAIWAN PEOPLE WANT LEADERS TO PROMOTE CROSS-STRAIT PEACE: STATE DEP'T CNA 06 Dec 2005 -- Although it is too early to say what impact the results of Taiwan's "three-in-one" elections will have on cross-Taiwan relations, Taiwan voters will continue to request that their elected leaders promote cross-strait peace and stability, a U.S. State Department deputy spokesman said Monday
  • TAIWAN'S CROSS-STRAIT POLICY NOT TO CHANGE AFTER ELECTIONS: MAC HEAD CNA 06 Dec 2005 -- Visiting Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu said Monday that Taiwan's cross-strait policy will not be swayed by the outcome of the just-concluded local elections which saw the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffer a crushing defeat.
  • PRESIDENT WANTS PREMIER TO REMAIN IN POST: SPOKESMAN CNA 05 Dec 2005 -- Premier Frank Hsieh offered to resign immediately after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered a humiliating defeat in Saturday's local government elections, but President Chen Shui-bian has rejected Hsieh's offer, a government spokesman said Monday.
  • RULING PARTY TO REFLECT UPON ITSELF FOR FRESH START CNA 05 Dec 2005 -- Major factions within the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said Monday they will accept the electorate's decision on the party with humility and engage in serious "soul-searching" before making a fresh start.
  • PLAN TO BUILD FAST-ATTACK MISSILE BOATS MIGHT BE DELAYED: MND CNA 05 Dec 2005 -- A plan to build a fleet of 30 new fast attack missile boats might be delayed due to complaint by a private shipyard against the state-run China Ship Building Corporation (CSBC), which was awarded the construction contract, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Monday.
  • ELECTIONS RESULTS SIGNAL POWER SHIFT: ANALYSTS CNA 04 Dec 2005 -- The outcome of Saturday's "three-in-one" elections signaled a major power shift between the ruling and opposition camps, which is expected to have a significant influence on the 2007 legislative elections and the 2008 presidential race, political observers said Sunday.
  • KMT WIN MAKES MAJOR ARMS PROCUREMENT MORE UNLIKELY: U. S. SCHOLAR CNA 04 Dec 2005 -- The Kuomintang's (KMT) victory in the Dec. 3 "three-in-one" elections over the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will make it harder for a major U. S. arms procurement package to clear Taiwan's legislature, a U. S. scholar said Saturday.
  • CROSS-STRAIT POLICY SHOULD BE RELAXED: KMT CHAIRMAN CNA 04 Dec 2005 -- The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government should relax its cross-Taiwan Strait policy for Taiwan's own good, opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou said Sunday.
  • ELECTIONS ANOTHER VICTORY FOR TAIWAN'S DEMOCRACY: VICE PRESIDENT CNA 04 Dec 2005 -- Vice President Annette Lu said Sunday that although the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered a major setback in the Dec. 3 local government elections, the polls as a whole represented another victory for Taiwan's democracy.
  • KMT WINS 14, DPP 6 OF 23 CITY/COUNTY GOVERNMENT POSTS CNA 04 Dec 2005 -- The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) defeated the ruling Democratic Progressive (DPP) by winning 14 out of 23 city and county government chief executive posts in Saturday's "three-in-one" elections, outnumbering the DPP's six.
  • SOUL-SEARCHING MUST BEGIN, NOT FINGER-POINTING: DPP NEW TIDE FACTION CNA 04 Dec 2005 -- The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should begin soul-searching instead of blaming individual leaders such as President Chen Shui-bian or DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang for the party's dismal showing in local elections, a party stalwart said Saturday.
  • TAIWAN NOT AGAINST UNIFICATION IF CHINA BECOMES DEMOCRACY: ENVOY CNA 01 Dec 2005 -- Taiwan does not exclude the possibility of unification with China at some point in the future if the latter becomes a democratic country, Taiwan's top envoy in Germany said Wednesday.



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