•Publication Date：01/06/2012
•Source： Taiwan Today
Photographs of ROC soldiers and sailors, as well as the ROC emblem, have been included in the 2012 calendar published by the Asia-Pacific Defense Forum, a professional military journal put out quarterly by the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command.
It marks the first time that pictures of the ROC military have appeared in the calendar, which depicts American soldiers as well as members of the armed forces of U.S. allies such as Canada, Japan and South Korea. The photos appear under the caption “Taiwanese Soldiers.”
The trio of photos includes one of an ROC soldier operating a CM-11 tank, while another shows infantry advancing alongside an M-60 tank during a military training exercise, and the third features a missile boat being commissioned at a naval base in Su-ao, northeastern Taiwan, last April. The ROC emblem, a 12-pointed white star on a field of blue, is clearly visible on the exterior of the tank in the first picture.
Ministry of National Defense spokesman David Lo said Jan. 5 that interactions and trust between Taiwan and the U.S. have been strong. He noted that the U.S. side’s passage last year of a proposal to sell Taiwan an upgrade package for its F-16 A/B fighter jets despite heavy pressure from mainland China is indicative of this mutual trust.
Lo further pointed out that the U.S. is willing to assist Taiwan in improving its self-defense capabilities and acknowledges the fact that Taiwan has no intention of causing provocations in cross-strait relations.
“On this solid basis of trust, there will probably be even more demonstrations of friendship to come,” he added.
Meanwhile, military officials stated that the photos used in the calendar were not provided by the ROC armed forces and were probably taken during the last few times that Taiwan’s military bases and camps were opened to the public.
