US-Taiwan council risks Beijing’s anger by inviting Taipei minister to defence industry conference
Business group ignores mainland China’s warnings as Yen Teh-fa could become first Taiwan defence minister to attend event in a decade
Taiwan’s defence minister Yen Teh-fa has been invited to take part in the US-Taiwan Defence Industry Conference this October.
The move is certain to irk Beijing, which has warned Washington and other countries against having high-level military exchanges with the self-ruled island.
Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business Council, which organises the event, confirmed to the South China Morning Post that the council has invited Yen to the event.
If Yen accepts the invitation, he will be the first defence minister from Taiwan to take part in the event since 2008.
The US-Taiwan Defence Industry Conference 2018 will be held between October 28 and 30 in Annapolis, Maryland.
It will be the 17th edition of the annual event which, according to the council, is intended to address future US cooperation with Taiwan, the defence procurement process and Taiwan’s security needs.
This year, the conference will open with a discussion on Taiwan’s role in the US Indo-Pacific strategy, and look at how Taiwan can increase regional engagement on defence and national security issues, it said.
