Publicly funded security think tank to be launched Tuesday

Taipei, April 30 (CNA) A semi-official think tank responsible for studying and offering advice on national security issues to the government will be officially launched Tuesday, with a former defense minister serving as its first head.

The government-funded "Institute for National Security Studies" (國防安全研究院) will be chaired by ex-defense chief Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬), who stepped down as defense minister on Feb. 26 after having served in the post since May 2016.

Senior government officials, including National Security Council deputy head Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥), Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu (吳志中) and Mainland Affairs Council deputy chief Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正), will serve as board members of the think tank.

The organization's chairman and board director and senior advisor position will all be unpaid positions.

With an annual budget of NT$125 million (US$4.2 million), the institute is to open at the former headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense near the Presidential Office in downtown Taipei.

It will be responsible for doing research on national security, regional security, and China's politics and military and for conducting exchanges with counterparts around the world.

It will also publish several annual reports on these issues every year.