4/15 (Sat.)This event is internal speech only for members who have signed up.(Host:Tony Hu)

[carmelo0183]

"Announcement: Due to space limitations and our commitment to ensuring a high-quality event, this meeting is for internal purposes only, and only members who have signed up in the Line group will be allowed to attend. Please be aware that entry is restricted to those who have signed up."

Dear YoYoers:
We have been striving to make a difference, and we are thrilled to announce an exceptional breakthrough.

4/15,Saturday, YoYo meeting
I have invited a distinguished guest speaker, Mr. Tony Hu (胡振東), to deliver a timely and thought-provoking presentation, followed by an insightful discussion with YoYo members.

The credentials of Mr. Tony Hu:
• Raytheon Taiwan In-Country Manager
美商雷神公司，在台總經理 (2011-2021)
• Deputy Chief, Security Cooperation Office of American Institute in Taiwan
美國在台協會, 安全合作組副組長 (2007-2011)
• Senior Director China/Taiwan/Mongolia, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon
美國國防部, 部長辦公室, 台灣/中國/蒙古 事務資深主任(2005-2007)
• Retired U.S. Air Force Officer (International Affairs, War Planner, InterContinental Ballistic Missile Combat Crew Commander)
美國空軍: 國際事務軍官, 戰爭計劃軍官, 洲際飛彈指揮官(1977-2004)

Topics:
1. U.S. Taiwan military cooperations
2. Possible U.S. response to an PRC attack on Taiwan.


Mr. Hu will be sharing his expertise on the crucial role of the Taiwan-U.S. military defense partnership in maintaining peace and stability in the region. Quoting his own words, he would like to address following concepts within his two parts of speech topic:
1. U.S. Taiwan military cooperations
-- “emphasize the objective of United States is to maintain peace across Taiwan Strait, rather than push Taiwan towards war”
-- “clarify the common misconceptions about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.”

2. Possible U.S. response to an PRC attack on Taiwan.
-- “Provide audience with a better understanding of the broader issue of Taiwan’s defense.”
-- “How U.S. will help defend Taiwan, not just in terms of the relationship but also through actual actions when required.”

His talk will be of interest to anyone concerned with Taiwan Strait regional security and stability, and those looking to gain a deeper understanding of the complex geopolitical dynamics at play in East Asia.

Mr. Hu is open-minded and willing to address any questions and concerns that our members may have regarding the subject. We warmly invite you to join us for an insightful discussion and fully take advantage of this rare and unique opportunity.

Reference:Footages of Mr.Hu on Taiwanese politics discussion TV program.
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Agenda:
3:45 ~ 4:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal
4:00 ~ 4:05pm Opening Remarks
4:05 ~ 4:45pm Speech Session 1. U.S. Taiwan military cooperations (40 mins)
4:45 ~ 5:05pm Q and A (20 mins)
5:05 ~ 5:15pm Break and Intermission
5:15 ~ 5:55pm Speech Session 2. Possible U.S. response to an PRC attack on Taiwan.(40 mins)
5:55 ~ 6:15pm Q and A (20 mins)
6:15 ~ 6:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements

Meeting Date: As shown on the Subject Line
Meeting Time: 4:00pm – 6:30pm
Meeting Venue: 丹堤咖啡 Dante Coffee (Minimum Order $80)
Address: 台北市濟南路三段25號[MAP]-捷運忠孝新生站3號出口步行3分鐘

Important Notes:
1. We advise participants to print out the discussion questions and bring them to the meeting for reference. As for the supporting articles, feel free to print them out, as well, according to your preference.
2. We suggest that participants read the articles and think about the questions in advance.
3. Newcomers should prepare a two-to-three minute self-introduction in English to deliver when called upon by the host before the start of the discussion. The host may also ask you to give brief feedback about the meeting at the conclusion of the meeting.
4. We conduct the entire meeting in English. All participants should have at least moderate English-conversation skills and be able to articulate your ideas for each discussion question.
5. We welcome newcomers and other guests to attend the meetings and join the discussion freely for two times. After that, we hope you will consider becoming a YoYo English Club member. We charge a NT$1500 lifetime membership fee, or NT$1000 for students.

[joseph]

[Luis Ko]

after watching the vedio and doing news reserch, here is my two cents,

if what the US has done to Taiwan is not solely out of their own interests, instead both Taiwan and the US share the common interest as the speaker said,
if the US really view Taiwan as an indepent country like Japan, Korea or Sngarpore, and Taiwan is indeed an important ally for the US like Japan and Korea in east end of pacific as the US always proclaim,

if the aforementioned is true then,

why can't Taiwan decide what they want to buy for the procurement of military supplies from the US??
ok, strategy and tactics may be the excuses but, why can't Taiwan aquire the same superior weaponry from the US, just like what Japan and Korea have?? one vivid example is F35, so-called 5th generation fighter plane. Taiwan has long been interested in F35 for quite some time, and guess no one can deny Taiwan is actually as geographically and stratigically important as Japan and Korea, and both of them have F35. but even having been spending huge amounts of money, still, what Taiwan has got is only the upgrade of F16, the so-called 4th generation fighter plane.

when it comes to Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act included in National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2023, it's said, same as the speaker has said, it "calls for the United States to make Foreign Military Financing available to Taiwan, including authorized grant assistance of up to US$2 billion for each of the fiscal years 2023 through 2027 as well as optional loans of up to a total of US$2 billion over these five fiscal years". sounds really very great, dosen’t it??

the thing is, what they didn't make clear is it's only an "authorization" for the US government to do so. at the end of the day, it still has to depend on the US governmant. to be specific, the politicians. and it's not "if they feel like or not" that simple. the reality could be "if it will be beneficial to them or not", i would say. the fact is the 2023 fiscal government funding bill has been released. there's not even a penny grant given to Taiwan. it only allowed up to US$2 billion in direct loans, which has to be paid back within 12 years time. all in all, it's just too good to be true, isn't it??

right, just imagine you were the politicians to decide how to spend the budget, knowing the country dared not say no to whatever you wanted them to do, and you also knew you had the option to lend them money to buy your country's products. under these situations, would you still choose to give them amounts of money for nothing to buy your products??

[Iris Wu]

why can't Taiwan decide what they want to buy for the procurement of military supplies from the US??
ok, strategy and tactics may be the excuses but, why can't Taiwan aquire the same superior weaponry from the US, just like what Japan and Korea have?? one vivid example is F35, so-called 5th generation fighter plane. Taiwan has long been interested in F35 for quite some time, and guess no one can deny Taiwan is actually as geographically and strategically important as Japan and Korea, and both of them have F35. but even having been spending huge amounts of money, still, what Taiwan has got is only the upgrade of F16, the so-called 4th generation fighter plane.

This question was raised in a TV program interview a year ago, and Tony's response suggested that the United States must exercise caution when selling advanced fighter jets, such as the F-35. The US needs to be very sure that such high-tech military force will never end up in the hands of their adversaries (whether due to political party changes or a "loss of control" of Taiwan - the "whether" statement was added by me.)

To me, it sounds like either no trust (political party changes) or no confidence (in defending Taiwan) about Taiwan's future and stance in terms of its relationship with the United States.

[Kooper]

Uh-oh, I've smelled danger coming our way...... had better put on helmet today to cover my back.

[Rock]

Uh-oh, I've smelled danger coming our way...... had better put on helmet today to cover my back.

Sorry, Kooper, but a helmet is supposed to protect your head, not back. What you need is a bulletproof vest. Let me give you mine. I don't need it anyway.

I've heard that Tony is very open-minded so there should be no problem at all. Besides, he was a Taiwanese, too.

[Luis Ko]

why can't Taiwan decide what they want to buy for the procurement of military supplies from the US??
ok, strategy and tactics may be the excuses but, why can't Taiwan aquire the same superior weaponry from the US, just like what Japan and Korea have?? one vivid example is F35, so-called 5th generation fighter plane. Taiwan has long been interested in F35 for quite some time, and guess no one can deny Taiwan is actually as geographically and strategically important as Japan and Korea, and both of them have F35. but even having been spending huge amounts of money, still, what Taiwan has got is only the upgrade of F16, the so-called 4th generation fighter plane.

This question was raised in a TV program interview a year ago, and Tony's response suggested that the United States must exercise caution when selling advanced fighter jets, such as the F-35. The US needs to be very sure that such high-tech military force will never end up in the hands of their adversaries (whether due to political party changes or a "loss of control" of Taiwan - the "whether" statement was added by me.)

To me, it sounds like either no trust (political party changes) or no confidence (in defending Taiwan) about Taiwan's future and stance in terms of its relationship with the United States.

totally agree!!

actually the excuse sounds weird to me. though seems jstifiable.

the US politicians always say Taiwan is an independent country then, the US government have the concern that Taiwan will yield to China anytime in the future!? if Taiwan is willing to yield or what without war, which means the process can be peacefully. why is China a big threat to Taiwan?? why do Taiwanese people have to risk their lives to go to war with China??

if China is indeed a big threat to demoracy and going to annex Taiwan by waging war, and Taiwan is an important ally of demoracy and the US, and the US will definitely help as they always say, then while asking Taiwan get prepared for the war the US should have tried their best to equip Taiwan with the most advanced weaponry, tried to help by any means, to deter China, shouldn't they?? otherwise, the demoracy world would risk losing an important ally. still they claim what they say and want Taiwan to spent a lot of money to buy not so advanced weponry to go into the war, but refuse to sell F35 because they are not sure Taiwan can win the ballte, even with their help??

that's to say the US politicians think that to equip Taiwan the most advanced weaponry will risk losing them if Taiwan loses the war. however, how is it possible Taiwan will win without the most advanced weaponry?? if Taiwan can still win, why do they still have the concern?? if the US has foreseen Taiwan is going to yield in the end anyway, why should Taiwanese people risk their lieves and turn Taiwan into a battlefield in the first place?? or the purpose of the war is not to win?? 沒有好武器怎麼打勝仗?? 如果沒有好武器也能打勝仗, 那有好武器不是更沒問題, 那又怎會有落入中共手中的風險呢?? 如果就是認為台灣打不勝, 也不願意全力幫助, 那台灣人又何須花大錢還讓台灣變成戰場, 做無謂的犧牲呢?? 還是這場仗美國另有打算, 輸贏根本不重要??

to me it's like the US propagates China is a big threat to Taiwan and democracy and then claim they can help, for their own interests. right, the US government is able to get Tawan well prepared for the war, but choose to prepare Taiwan not so well. the US can help Taiwan for nothing such as the grant, but choose to help for something, the loans.

right, enjoy your Monday. i rest my case.