Defense News
Date: April 13, 2016
By: Michael J. Lostumbo, Special to Defense News

Air defense planners in Taiwan face a daunting challenge. They need to have

enough capacity to deter China, which not only has a large military but, more importantly, for the past 25 years has spent heavily on modernizing that force. In modern warfare, air dominance is important in its own right, but it also enables other types of military operations by land and sea forces.

Thus an important capability for Taiwan is to be able to contest China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) air dominance. In the past, Taiwan’s fighter aircraft have been the mainstay of their air defenses, and in the future these aircraft will command most of the air defense budget. But China has found ways to put those aircraft in check, making them an expensive luxury in Taiwan’s defense budget.

Taiwan should begin to think beyond an air defense that relies so heavily on its fighter aircraft. Surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) would offer greater defensive capabilities and are a better investment moving forward.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/04/13
By: Rita Cheng and Evelyn Kao

Washington, April 12 (CNA) Members of the U.S. Senate Taiwan Caucus and

Congressional Taiwan Caucus have recently released statements in recognition of the 37th anniversary of the enactment of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and the continuing and growing partnership between Taiwan and the United States.

“Taiwan is one of the strongest democratic and economic partners of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region,” said U.S. Senator James Inhofe, a co-chair of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, in a statement issued Monday.

“The Taiwan Relations Act has played an indispensable role in shaping American policy toward Taiwan and U.S. strategy in Asia and serves as a model of freedom… Taiwan’s strength, both democratically and economically, helps to bolster peace and stability in this strategically important region,” Inhofe said.     [FULL  STORY]

Voice of America
Date: April 13, 2016
By: Ralph Jennings

TAIPEI—
A top Taiwanese official on Wednesday said Taipei may send a delegation to

Beijing to learn more about a fraud trial involving some 45 Taiwanese nationals who were deported from Kenya and sent to mainland China against their wishes.

Taipei has accused China of abducting the group, which faced accusations in Kenya of committing telecommunications fraud. Analysts say Beijing may be trying to force the soon-to-be ruling party in Taiwan to start a friendly dialogue with mainland China, rather than veering toward stronger self-rule, which goes against Beijing’s wishes.

“For this kind of case, I must say that we will try to get our citizens back [to Taipei] for trial,” Andrew Hsia, who heads the island’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), told VOA’s Mandarin Service. “But China will contend, too, since the victims are already over there. So both sides will coordinate on the basis of judiciary assistance.”

Hsia also said there used to be cross-strait cooperation and a tacit understanding between the two sides in dealing with similar cases. If mainland China thinks a sentence for fraud in Taiwan is not heavy enough, he said, there would be room for discussion.     [FULL  STORY]