Taiwan has taken every opportunity to inform the United States of its wish to participate in the Rim of the Pacific exercise (RIMPAC), the world's largest international maritime exercise, the country's deputy defense minister, Andrew Hsia, said Wednesday.
"Every time we have meetings with US military officials, we express our desire to join the exercise," he said at a hearing in the Legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
Participation in the exercise would help strengthen Taiwan's cooperation with the US and other countries in terms of international humanitarian assistance, he said.
"The US is giving consideration to our request," Hsia said. "We have also told the US that we are willing to start as an observer."
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