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President Tsai convenes high-level national security meeting to address regional and Middle East security issues
President Tsai convenes high-level national security meeting to address regional and Middle East security issues
2018-04-14

President Tsai Ing-wen convened a high-level national security meeting at 4:00 p.m. on April 14 to address recent regional and Middle East security issues. Vice Premier Shih Jun-Ji (施俊吉) and leaders of Taiwan's national security organs were on hand as officials from Taiwan's national defense, diplomatic, and intelligence agencies updated the president on the regional security situation, including the latest movements of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). They also reported on the international community's response to the Syrian government's chemical weapons attack on civilians, and provided a situational analysis. A broad-ranging exchange of views brought the president up-to-date on the response measures each government agency has prepared to meet all possible contingencies.

The president issued the following directives at the meeting:

1. The Ministry of National Defense should step up efforts to monitor PLA movements in the waters and airspace surrounding Taiwan; maintain current combat readiness; neither provoke nor fear the adversary in defending the nation's territorial airspace and waters; respond promptly to false information to maintain public morale.

2. Our citizens should maintain a certain level of skepticism and avoid speculating about national security-related information on media platforms that has not been confirmed by the government authorities. The relevant authorities should monitor such information in real time and promptly provide citizens with accurate information.

3. The relevant government agencies should closely monitor the situation in Syria. In keeping with international law's prohibition against the use of chemical weapons, the Taiwan government strongly opposes and condemns the Syrian regime's brutal chemical weapons attack against civilians, and supports any necessary sanctions imposed by the international community. The Taiwan government will continue to work with the international community to provide humanitarian aid and help those affected resume their normal lives as soon as possible.

4. The Executive Yuan should coordinate efforts by government ministries and agencies to draft advance response measures to address possible social and economic impacts resulting from regional and Middle East security situations to maintain domestic commodity prices and stock market stability.

The meeting lasted approximately 100 minutes, and participants included President Tsai, Vice Premier Shih Jun-Ji, National Security Council Secretary-General David T. Lee (李大維), Minister of National Defense Yen Teh-fa (嚴德發), Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), National Security Bureau Director-General Peng Sheng-Chu (彭勝竹), and Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chen Ming-Tong (陳明通).

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