U.S.-TAIWAN CROSS-STRAIT WAR SIMULATION POSTPONED TO EARLY NEXT YEAR
ROC Central News Agency
2005-10-11 21:40:30
Taipei, Oct. 11 (CNA) A Ministry of National Defense official said Tuesday that the United States has postponed an annual computer-assisted war simulation with Taiwan because of a recent personnel change at the Pentagon's strategic planning department.
As part of U.S.-Taiwan military exchanges, Taiwan military officials have been invited to visit the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii annually over the past years for a simulation of a war across the Taiwan Strait.
According to ministry spokesman Liu Chih-chien, this year's simulation, which was originally expected to be held in late September, has been postponed to early next year, because William J. Fallon, the new commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, needs some time to familiarize himself with the new position.
Liu said other military exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and the United States have not been affected and that the postponement of the war simulation has nothing to do with the delay in Taiwan's latest arms procurement package from the United States.
Taiwan's plan to buy eight diesel electric submarines, six Patriot PAC-III anti-missile batteries and a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft has been stalled over the past year owing to objections by the opposition-controlled legislature. The U.S. side has expressed much concern over the situation and has urged Taiwan to show its resolve to defend itself by speeding up the procurement.
(By Y.F. Low)
ENDITEM/mw
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