2013 US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference

The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2013 was held September 29 – October 1, 2013 in Annapolis, Maryland. This was the twelfth annual event in a series of ongoing conferences addressing the future of U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s defense and national security needs.

This year, conference sessions discussed Taiwan’s Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), examined the importance of credibility in sustaining deterrence, and discussed approaches and policies in support of a credible, comprehensive, and strategically relevant deterrence message. We also examine existing systems and available capabilities that can be leveraged in support of Taiwan defense and national security objectives, as well as assessed innovations and future capabilities in support of Taiwan’s national defense and as a component of deterrence.

Keynote speakers at the 2013 conference included senior representatives from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and from the U.S. government. US-Taiwan Business Council Chairman Dr. Paul Wolfowitz served as the conference host.

Sessions at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference feature a moderator and several speakers on the panel, and some sessions include additional commentators. Each speaker will give a short presentation on the session topic from his or her own viewpoint and expertise. Those presentations will then be followed by a moderator-led discussion among the panelists, as well as a moderator-driven question and answer period with the attendees. This format offers the maximum amount of time for exchanges among the panelists, as well as between the panel and the audience, allowing the sessions to become a forum for substantial and valuable interaction and discussion.