Taiwan Defense Industry Association head Han Pi-hsiang (韓碧祥, front center) and U.S.-Taiwan Business Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers (韓儒伯, front second right）

Princeton, New Jersey, Oct. 18 (CNA) Taiwan Defense Industry Association head Han Pi-hsiang（韓碧祥）and U.S.-Taiwan Business Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers (韓儒伯）signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Tuesday to advance U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan.

The signing of the MOU will not only boost collaboration on defense affairs between Taiwan and the U.S., but will also create an integrated platform for the association members to extend exchanges on defense issues with the U.S., said Han.

Under the MOU, which was signed a day after the U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference that took place Oct. 15-17 in Princeton, New Jersey, the two sides will foster industrial cooperation, arrange mutual visits by specialists in various fields, and facilitate mutual understanding and learning, he added.

Hammond-Chambers for his part revealed that a conference will be held in Taipei next spring to increase business opportunities in the defense and security industries in both Taiwan and the U.S.

The annual conference, hosted by the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council since 2002, serves as a crucial platform for U.S. and Taiwan to discuss national security needs, weapons procurement and defense cooperation.

(By Rita Cheng and Isabel Wang)
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