Senior Taiwan defence official to visit US for fighter jet ceremony
TAIPEI, March 26 (Reuters) - One of Taiwan's deputy defence ministers will visit the United States for a ceremony this week marking the completion of a new F-16 fighter jet for the island, the first acknowledged such trip since U.S. President Donald Trump took office.
The United States in 2019 approved an $8 billion sale of Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab F-16V fighter jets to Taiwan, a deal that would take the island's F-16 fleet to more than 200 jets, the largest in Asia, to strengthen its defences in the face of a stepped up threat from China, which views Taiwan as its own.
Taiwan has been converting 141 F-16A/B jets into the F-16V type and has ordered 66 new F-16Vs, which have advanced avionics, weapons and radar systems to better face down the Chinese air force, including its stealthy J-20 fighters.
But Taiwan has complained of delays for the new F-16Vs, saying problems include software issues.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei on Wednesday, Taiwan air force planning department director Chiang Yuan-chi said the first of the new F-16Vs would leave the factory in the U.S. state of South Carolina this week.
A deputy Taiwan defence minister would lead a delegation to attend the ceremony, he added, without naming the minister or giving other details. Taiwan has two deputy defence ministers.
"The first F-16V has been assembled," Chiang said, adding the order is expected to be completed by next year.
Taiwan's F-16 pilots are trained at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.
The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment outside of office hours.
Unlike visits to the United States by senior officials from allies like Japan and Britain, conducted openly, those of Taiwanese officials, especially military, are kept low key and often not officially confirmed.
Last year, Taiwan's navy chief visited the United States.
China has repeatedly called for the United States to end any military contacts with Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The United States is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, but the two have no formal diplomatic relations, with Washington recognising only Beijing's government and not Taipei's democratically elected one.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
32 minutes ago
- The Independent
Yemen's al-Qaida branch leader threatens Trump, Musk and others
The leader of al-Qaida's Yemen branch has threatened both U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip in his first video message since taking over the group last year. The half-hour video message by Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki, which spread online early Saturday via supporters of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, also included calls for lone-wolf militants to assassinate leaders in Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf Arab states over the war, which has decimated Gaza. The video of al-Awlaki's speech showed images of Trump and Musk, as well as U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of State Pete Hegseth. It also included images of logos of Musk's businesses, including the electric carmaker Tesla. 'There are no red lines after what happened and is happening to our people in Gaza," al-Awlaki said. "Reciprocity is legitimate.' Yemen's al-Qaida branch long thought to be most dangerous Though believed to be weakened in recent years due to infighting and suspected U.S. drone strikes killing its leaders, the group known by the acronym AQAP had been considered the most dangerous branch of al-Qaida still operating after the 2011 killing by U.S. Navy SEALs of founder Osama bin Laden, who masterminded the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. In 2022, a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan killed bin Laden's successor, Ayman al-Zawahri, who also helped plot 9/11. The Sept. 11 attacks then began decades of war by the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq, and fomented the rise of the Islamic State group. Al-Awlaki already has a $6 million U.S. bounty on his head, as Washington says al-Awlaki 'has publicly called for attacks against the United States and its allies.' He replaced AQAP leader Khalid al-Batarfi, whose death was announced by the group in 2024. Israel-Hamas war a focus of the Houthis as well AQAP seizing onto the Israel-Hamas war follows the efforts of Yemen's Houthi rebels to do the same. The Iranian-backed group has launched missile attacks on Israel and targeted commercial vessels moving through the Red Sea corridor, as well as American warships. The U.S. Navy has described their campaign against the Houthis as the most intense combat it has faced since World War II. The Trump administration also launched its own intense campaign of strikes on the Houthis, which only ended before the president's recent trip to the Middle East. The Houthis' international profile rose as the group remains mired in Yemen's long-stalemated war. Al-Awlaki may be betting on the same for his group, which U.N. experts have estimated has between 3,000 and 4,000 active fighters and passive members. The group raises money by robbing banks and money exchange shops, as well as smuggling weapons, counterfeiting currencies and ransom operations, according to the U.N. The Shiite Zaydi Houthis have previously denied working with AQAP, a Sunni extremist group. However, AQAP targeting of the Houthis has dropped in recent years, while the militants keep attacking Saudi-led coalition forces who have battled the Houthis. 'As the Houthis gain popularity as leaders of the 'Arab and Muslim world's resistance' against Israel, al-Awlaki seeks to challenge their dominance by presenting himself as equally concerned about the situation in Gaza,' said Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen expert of the Basha Report risk advisory firm. 'For a national security and foreign policy community increasingly disengaged from Yemen, this video is a clear reminder: Yemen still matters.'
Reuters
39 minutes ago
- Reuters
China to send vice premier He Lifeng to Britain for US trade talks
SHANGHAI, June 7 (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry said on Saturday that Chinese vice premier He Lifeng will visit the United Kingdom between June 8 and June 13. The first meeting of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism will be held with the United States during this visit, the ministry said. He led the Chinese side in the first round of trade talks in May. President Donald Trump said on Friday that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will represent Washington in the talks.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Trump-Musk feud live updates: Elon deletes tweet claiming the president is in the Epstein files amid public break-up
Elon Musk has deleted his tweet in which he claimed that Donald Trump is in 'the Epstein Files.' Musk initially shared the post on Thursday as the spat between him and the president exploded over a disagreement over Trump's congressional spending bill. The billionaire also suggested that Trump should be impeached. 'The Epstein Files' is a phrase used to describe information that U.S. authorities hold on the disgraced financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019. By Saturday morning, Musk's post alleging Trump is in the files had been removed. This comes as Trump and Musk don't appear to be speaking, despite earlier rumors that a phone call might occur following their disagreement. The president shrugged off the feud in calls with multiple TV networks on Friday morning, dismissing Musk as a 'man who has lost his mind,' saying he was 'not particularly' interested in reconciliation, and 'the poor guy's got a problem.' Mass deportations from Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill could quietly cost U.S. over $1.4 trillion Mass deportations enabled by the Trump administration's Big, Beautiful Bill spending and tax package could cost the U.S. over $1 trillion in the coming years, as the administration is already reportedly struggling to fund its rapidly expanding immigration crackdown. The package, which the House of Representatives passed last month, directs $168 billion towards immigration and border law enforcement agencies. That spending, combined with the economic impact of removing scores of immigrants and more granular changes, like a potential decline in revenues thanks to the possible deterrent effect of new fees on migrants, could cost the U.S. over $1.4 trillion over the next decade, according to an analysis from the libertarian Cato Institute. Mass deportations from Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill could cost U.S. over $1.4 trillion White House has been fending off attacks from Elon Musk that bill adds too much to deficit Graig Graziosi7 June 2025 14:30 Trump says he's still considering cutting Musk's government subsidies, but "only if its fair" Reporters asked President Donald Trump if he was still considering cutting Elon Musk's government contracts and subsidies after he threatened to do so on Thursday. Trump said that Musk 'gets a lot of subsidy,' and that he was going to 'look at' what he's getting and consider cutting them, but 'only if it's fair for him and for the country.' On Thursday, Trump and Musk were embroiled in a public spat that saw the Tesla CEO agree with a call for the president's impeachment and insinuate that he was on notorious rapist and child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein's client list. Trump responded by threatening to end Musk's government contracts and subsidies, ostensibly as a way to save the American public money, and questioned why former President Joe Biden hadn't done so during his time in office. Graig Graziosi7 June 2025 14:00 Trump-Musk friendship goes from meteoric rise to epic meltdown in under a year Musk was once Trump's critic and became his friend as the Tesla head pushed further right in his political leanings. It hit its apex after the assassination attempt on Trump in July. Musk then joined Trump on the campaign and quickly dubbed himself 'first buddy.' That led to Musk becoming the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, which was tasked with slashing the federal budget. The relationship turned sour as the two disagreed over Trump's spending bill. Musk left the White House and the two remained friendly, at least in public. That changed as Musk posted criticism of the bill online and culminating with the meltdown on social media between the two. Read more here about their history together: A timeline of Donald Trump and Elon Musk's tumultuous relationship Though the tech billionaire quickly rose to the (self-titled) position of 'first buddy,' it ended in a flash, writes Mike Bedigan and Isabel Keane Rebecca Whittaker7 June 2025 13:40 Trumps Tesla spotted parked outside the WhiteHouse President Donald Trump is thinking of getting rid of the red Tesla that he bought from Elon Musk earlier this year. He is considering either selling theModel S electric vehicle, priced at around $80,000, or giving it away, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a senior White House official. The car was pictured Friday parked outside the West Wing between the White House and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. It comes after Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, lost $34 billion in net worth on Thursday after his company's stock plummeted in response to the online fight. Rebecca Whittaker7 June 2025 13:20 Kash Patel has live mid-interview 'WTF' moment on Joe Rogan as he learns of Trump vs. Musk FBI Director Kash Patel first learned that the world's richest man had just accused his boss of being in the so-called 'Epstein Files' while taping an episode of Joe Rogan's podcast on Thursday. Patel, who has come under fire from MAGA supporters in recent weeks for backing away from conspiracy theories about disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein now that he leads the FBI, appeared taken aback by Elon Musk's wild tweets about Donald Trump's lengthy past relationship with Epstein. 'That's way outside my lane,' Patel demurred while Rogan wondered 'what the f*ck' was going on between the president and his former 'first buddy.' Justin Baragona reports. Kash Patel has 'WTF' moment on Joe Rogan as he learns of Trump vs. Musk mid-interview 'I'm not participating in any of that conversation between Elon and Trump,' Kash Patel insisted during the interview. Graig Graziosi7 June 2025 13:00 'The Trump and Musk spat is turning them both into billion-dollar losers in every way' The boys are going at it. Like two heavies in the playground, the once richest man on Earth and on who thinks he is the most powerful are locked in a scrap, writes Chris Blackhurst. He added the fallout hit them both. Trump says that Musk and his companies receive 'billions of dollars' in government subsidies and contracts. He could cut them. 'I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social Platform. Read more by Chris Blackhurst here: The Trump and Musk spat is turning them both into billion-dollar losers in every way As the 'first buddy' turns first enemy, Chris Blackhurst looks at the feud between the president and tech billionaire and how much it could cost them in real terms Rebecca Whittaker7 June 2025 12:40 Recap: How the Musk and Trump war of words exploded on social media Rebecca Whittaker7 June 2025 12:22 Trump administration scrambling to rehire workers cut by DOGE Departments and agencies across the federal government are scrambling to fill crucial roles left vacant over the Department of Government Efficiency's mass firings and deferred resignation offers. For months, DOGE has demanded departments and agencies dramatically downsize as part of efforts to cut government spending. Some employees have been incentivized to leave with early retirement offers or buyouts. Others, such as probationary employees, have been dismissed. But now, those same departments and agencies have been left understaffed and are struggling to get workers back. Ariana Baio has the story. Trump team scrambles to rehire workers cut by DOGE to fill critical government roles Rescinding reduction-in-force notices, asking for volunteers, and offering jobs to fired federal workers are some of the ways departments are trying to bulk up staff. Graig Graziosi7 June 2025 12:00 LGBTQ+ people march following rollback of queer rights In a bid show defiance to President Donald Trump's rollback of queer rights, LGBTQ+ people from around the world will march through the streets of Washington on Saturday. It comes after transgender people were banned from serving in the armed forces. While proponents of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) consider it necessary to correct historic inequities, the White House has described it as a form of discrimination based on race or gender, and said its transgender policy protects women by keeping transgender women out of shared spaces. The parade route will come within one block of the White House grounds in one of the final main events of the weeks-long WorldPride celebration. On Sunday a more political event, dubbed a rally and march, will convene at the Lincoln Memorial, a revered space in the US civil rights movement as the site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963. Rebecca Whittaker7 June 2025 11:45 Voters opinions on the Trump-Musk feud Voters were confident the feud would 'blow over', the BBC reported. Melanie in Georgia told the broadcaster: That the "two very strong, intelligent, brilliant men" approach things from different perspectives and believes it will all "blow over". Emana in New York said it's "very serious" for Musk to be making allegations about the president, but that she is "cautiously optimistic" it will be resolved. While Duke Machado from Texas, said he supports Trump's "big, beautiful bill" because it represents "common sense American priorities... cutting taxes puts money back in the pockets of hard-working families".
