US, Japan decline requests for help, Taiwan's military says

Taiwan's military says it has been left to face the daunting rescue mission on its own after the United States and Japan turned down requests for help.

The island's defence minister, Chen Jhao-min, said yesterday that the Taiwanese military had asked the US and Japan to send relief helicopters to help carry heavy rescue equipment to the worst-hit areas in the mountains. However, both long-time allies had turned down the requests, saying their military bases were too far away.

'According to the replies sent by the US and Japan ... their helicopters are based in Japan and the US military base in Guam, and they are both too far away from Taiwan,' Mr Chen said.

However, the island's Central News Agency later quoted its foreign ministry as saying that both Japan and the US were still considering the requests.

The People's Liberation Army is the closest air force to Taiwan, but political obstacles rule out that option.