《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 US to help plan, appraise Han Kuang drills: source

By Jason Pan and Lo Tien-pin / Staff reporters

The US is to advise Taiwan’s armed forces in planning and assessing the upcoming Han Kuang military exercises in a contract negotiated through Taiwan’s defense attache in Washington.

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According to a senior Ministry of National Defense official, the five-year contract covers a NT$94.78 million （US$3.1 million） program with the US military taking a larger advisory role and enhancing collaboration with Taiwan’s military.

Under the contract, the US is to send military advisers — from this year until 2019 — to assist in Taiwan’s most important annual military exercises, which are to be conducted later this month and in September, said the senior ministry official, who requested anonymity.

This new development is significant, as Taiwan previously invited important Pentagon representatives, mostly retired generals, as observers to the Han Kuang exercises. The signed deal means the US is to shift from a passive to an active role.

“It will also advance higher levels of cooperation and deepen the scope of military exchanges between the two sides. The US will advise in strategic planning and operational deployment of combat units for Taiwan’s defense against hostile actions in the Taiwan Strait,” the official said.

“In effect, this development means the understanding has been achieved for joint US-Taiwan military collaboration to deter China’s military threat of invasion from across the Taiwan Strait,” he added.

The official said that most details of the contract program are classified, but it was negotiated in the US by Taiwan’s Defense Procurement Division in Washington as a signed contract, with the American Institute in Taiwan （AIT） representing the US.

He added that the contract is part of Taiwan’s arms procurement program, which is raised with Washington each year, to upgrade Taiwan’s defense capability against external threats.

The ministry did not give a definitive official response when asked about this development.

Ministry spokesman Major General David Lo （羅紹和） yesterday said that the ministry has always upheld the same stance in not commenting on such issues and cannot discuss the details of the case.

Lo said that the Han Kuang military exercises are planned and carried out by the nation’s armed forces, and — as far as his understanding goes — the defense ministry did not contract out the planning and assessment of these annual exercises to the US.

When asked, AIT spokesperson Mark Zimmer said he was unaware of news reports on the issue, and was unable to comment on it and cannot discuss details, while adding that the US’ commitment to Taiwan is unchanged under the Taiwan Relations Act.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES