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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Taiwan arms package creates buzz at US forum
By William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON
A US$2 billion “no surprise” arms package for Taiwan could be announced by the White House between Dec. 11 and Jan. 16 next year, it was rumored on Sunday.
The long-expected package was a major source of discussion and buzz as the 14th annual US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference opened in Williamsburg, Virginia.
“Things have moved in the last few weeks, there have been discussions behind the scenes,” US-Taiwan Business Council president Rupert Hammond-Chambers said. “The bottom line is that there is a package, they are ready to notify Congress, but there is a timing issue.”
The announcement is likely to come between the end of the climate change conference in Paris on Dec. 11 and Taiwan’s elections on Jan. 16, he said, adding that none of the items in the package were controversial, although China would object on principle.
“There is nothing here that people are going to raise their eyebrows and say: ‘Oh my goodness where did that come from,’” he said.
The package will include four used Perry-class frigates, minesweepers and munitions, Hammond-Chambers said.
“They are programs we are well aware of that have been waiting for some time,” he said.
Hammond-Chambers said this would be the last arms sales package to come from the administration of US President Barack Obama and negotiations for new sales would not open until there is a new US president in place in early 2017.
This week’s conference is the second-largest of its kind, with more than 150 people in attendance.
“It is essential for Taiwan’s security for it to be more proactive in the development of Taiwan’s defense industry,” said Hammond-Chambers, who was one of the main conference organizers.
He is pushing to get more Taiwanese companies to partner with US companies in the defense supply chain and in the development of Taiwan’s indigenous capabilities.
Hammond-Chambers said that if the Democratic Progressive Party comes to power in January next year it might build a cybersecurity department within the Ministry of National Defense.
He said that could result in Taiwanese companies producing new technology that would also benefit US security.
Hammond-Chambers said that when launching campaigns against the US, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s cyberwarfare units often attack Taiwan first to test out their programs.
Thus, a robust cybersecurity department in Taiwan would lead to greater intelligence sharing with Washington.
“Anything we can do to broaden the scope of the security relationship of the two countries is a positive and this is a critical area,” he said.
Cyberwarfare is to be a major area of discussion during the conference.
While the US Department of State has not sent a representative to the conference this year, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia Abraham Denmark was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech last night.
DPP Secretary-General Joseph Wu （吳釗燮） is at the conference as part of the Taiwanese delegation is led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Liu Chen-wu （劉震武）.
The delegation is expected to brief the conference about Taiwan’s plans to build submarines.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
