The Taiwan-based news portal China Times reported on March 5, 2017, that Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan reiterated Taiwan’s position of being against the installation of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
During a session at the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense committee last Thursday, legislators asked Feng whether Taiwan would host the U.S. anti-ballistic missile system THAAD. Feng replied that Taiwan “should not be involved in other nations’ wars or make pointless sacrifices in conflicts between two global powers.”
The China Times‘ report noted that some people among the Pan-Green Groups recently expressed their hope that Taiwan would take part in THAAD. However, a retired People’s Liberation Army (PLA) general on Mainland China said that the day Taiwan deploys THAAD will be the day to unify Taiwan by force. The Pan-Green Group got its name from the colors of the now ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
China Times quoted Feng as explaining the position of Taiwan’s military regarding weapons purchases. “In the past we directly bought fish, and now we hope to learn fishing — producing military airplanes and warships by ourselves.”
When questioned about his opinion on the South Korea’s decision to install THAAD, China Times reported that Feng said that the U.S., Japan, and South Korea formed the plan in order to force China to cooperate. Feng considered this an idea that “global powers” thought up and which, he believed, Taiwan should take no part.
Source: China Times, March 5, 2017
http://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20170305002229-260417