Taiwan has donated 90 AM General Humvees jeeps, two Bell UH-1H helicopters and 100 motorcycles to assist the Ministry of Defense efforts. The equipment is expected to arrive in January 2018. The Taiwan government has also added two years of maintenance to the equipment package. A team of Dominican officers are scheduled to travel next month to Taiwan to be trained in the use of the equipment valued at US$35 million. Minister of Defense Ruben Paulino Sem also reported the 90 Hummer jeeps will be used to patrol the border with Haiti.
The announcement was made by Defense Minister Paulino Sem after visiting the Taiwan company Han-Shan in Taiwan and the Taiwan army vehicle deposit in company with Dominican ambassador in Taiwan, former Minister of Armed Forces Jose Manuel Soto Jiménez.
While in Taipei, earlier in October, Paulino Sem also met with his colleague, Admiral Feng Shih-Kwan and Minister of Foreign Relations David Tawei Lee.
In a press release, the Ministry of Defense says that the announcement is part of efforts by Paulino Sem, who returned on Saturday, 28 October 2017, from a three-day trip to Taiwan upon an invitation of the Taiwan government, to improve relations with this Asian country.
During his visit, he met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. The press release says that the President of Taiwan promised to double the cooperation offered to the Dominican Republic and reaffirmed the invitation for President Danilo Medina and First Lady Candida Montilla to visit.
In addition, Paulino Sem said that the Ministry is working with the Specialized Border Corps (Cesfront) and installing surveillance cameras that will work with drones that have been purchased this year. Paulino Sem spoke when attending an event that marked the closing of the planting of 10,000 trees activity by army men at the Circunvalación Santo Domingo Norte.
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Diario Libre
El Caribe
31 October 2017
