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Include Taiwan in
drills: members of US Congress
By William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON
Members of the US Congress have formally asked US Secretary of Defense Chuck
Hagel to invite Taiwan to join the Rim of Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise next year.
RIMPAC is held every two years and is the world¡¦s largest international maritime
warfare exercise.
¡§It is critical for the US to maintain a relationship with Taiwan equal to that
which we maintain with China,¡¨ US House of Representatives Armed Services
Seapower Subcommittee Chairman Randy Forbes said on Monday.
¡§Taiwan has been a faithful, democratic ally of the US for decades,¡¨ the
Republican Forbes said.
A co-chairman of the Congressional China Caucus, Forbes said that while China
has been invited to join the RIMPAC exercise next year, Taiwan has not, despite
¡§the opportunity to enhance its humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
capabilities.¡¨
Led by Forbes, eight members of Congress have signed a bipartisan letter
requesting Hagel to issue an invitation to Taipei.
Next year¡¦s RIMPAC will include 23 nations and will focus on enhancing the
interoperability of combined forces to improve maritime security.
¡§It is our understanding that the PLA [People¡¦s Liberation Army] Navy, after
being invited to participate by your predecessor, Leon Panetta, is planning to
contribute several Navy ships to the exercise,¡¨ the US representatives say in
their letter.
¡§We believe it is beneficial for the US to maintain a relationship with Taiwan
equal to the relationship our government chooses to maintain with [China],¡¨ the
letter says.
For the same reasons that the PRC has been invited to join RIMPAC, which include
building a closer maritime relationship and enhancing critical nautical skills
useful for maintaining peace and stability in the region, ¡§an invitation should
also be extended to Taiwan,¡¨ the letter says.
Participation in the exercises will help Taiwan respond to disasters and
contribute to the ¡§security and stability¡¨ of the Asia-Pacific region.
The lawmakers say that there is a ¡§strong precedent¡¨ for bilateral and
multilateral engagement with Taiwan.
Since 1997, the US Air Force has trained Taiwan¡¦s F-16 pilots at Luke Air Force
Base, Arizona, alongside Singapore Air Force pilots.
The US has stressed the importance of this training and said that Taiwan is one
of the major powers in Asia and the Western Pacific and a key partner of the US
in ¡§ensuring peace and stability in that region.¡¨
¡§We could not agree more with the benefits of this effort and believe Taiwan and
the region will only benefit from extending our training and exercises to the
maritime realm,¡¨ the lawmakers say in their letter.
¡§America¡¦s long-standing relationship with its democratic partner in Taiwan is
stronger than ever, but we believe there are still areas where we should
continue to deepen this partnership,¡¨ they say. ¡§We therefore hope you strongly
consider our request to expand military exercises with Taiwan and extend an
invitation for their participation in RIMPAC 2014.¡¨
A Pentagon source said on Monday that he could not comment on the letter until
after it had been received and considered by Hagel.
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