Taiwan-US security talks to cover drills, arms salesIMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENTS: A national security official said Washington is expected to focus on equipment upgrades because of the uncertainty of the cross-strait situationBy Su Yung-yao and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerSecurity talks between Taiwan and the US this week are to include discussion of military exercises and arms sales, a senior national security official said yesterday. A delegation led by National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄) is to participate in the annual Monterey Talks, considered to be the most important strategic collaboration between the two countries. Photo: ReutersA senior national security official said on condition of anonymity yesterday that Washington is expected to focus on upgrades to existing equipment to enhance immediate combat capabilities as a response to uncertainties in the cross-strait situation. The US considers any Chinese military action in the first island chain to fall within its “weapons engagement zone,” they said. The US Indo-Pacific Command’s engagement is “closer than people think,” with interactions shifting from “transactional” to “collaborative,” the official said.
