Taiwan's president pledges to accelerate building of air defence system in face of China threat
Taipei (AP): Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te on Friday pledged to accelerate the building of a “T-Dome” air defence system in the face of the threat from China.
Lai said his government would establish a rigorous defence system with high-level detection and effective interception.
The T-Dome, or Taiwan Dome, was an apparent reference to the Iron Dome system that Israel has developed.
Lai, speaking at a Taiwan National Day celebration, also pledged to increase defence spending to more than 3 per cent of GDP and to reach 5 per cent by 2030. GDP, or gross domestic product, is a measure of the size of the overall economy.
Taiwan is a self-governing island off China's east coast that the Chinese government claims as its territory and says must come under its rule.
Lai called Taiwan a “hub of peace and stability” in the Indo-Pacific region, drawing a distinction with China's one-party state.
“Democratic Taiwan ... will strive to maintain the status quo, protect peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and promote regional prosperity and development,” Lai said.
China and Taiwan split during a civil war that brought the Communist Party to power in China in 1949. The defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan, where they set up their own government.
The Chinese military regularly sends fighter jets and warships into the skies and waters off Taiwan and has staged major military exercises in the area in recent years.
The United States, like most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as a country, but it supplies the government with military equipment for its defence and opposes any use of military force by China to settle its dispute with Taiwan.
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Ready to face no-confidence motion, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
Hassan (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that the Congress government led by him was ready to face the no-confidence motion if moved by the opposition during the legislature session from December 8.
With Deputy CM D K Shivakumar by his side, he reiterated that they would both abide by the high command's decision on the leadership issue.
"Let them (opposition) bring in a no-confidence motion or adjournment motion or any other motion. We are ready to face it. Ours is an open book, transparent government. We are ready to face anything," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question.
However, BJP state President B Y Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, clarified that the party, along with the JD(S) has not discussed or decided anything so far regarding moving a no-confidence motion against the government.
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The winter session of the Karnataka legislature will begin in Belagavi, bordering Maharashtra, on December 8 and will go on till 19th of this month.
Not wanting to react to a question on the leadership issue, the CM said the Congress high command is very strong.
"D K Shivakumar and I will be committed to whatever the high command decides," he said.
Earlier in the day in Bengaluru, Shivakumar accompanied AICC Mallikarjun Kharge till airport from Vidhana Soudha, after paying tributes to B R Ambedkar on his 69th death anniversary, which had led to some speculation about possible discussion between the two on the leadership issue.
The power tussle within the ruling party had intensified amid speculation about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
However, both the CM and Deputy CM had recently held breakfast meetings at each others residences, on the instructions of the high command, which is seen as a move to pause the leadership tussle between the two and to signal Siddaramaiah's continuation as the CM for the time being, especially ahead of the Belagavi legislature session.
