The US should honor its commitment in providing Taiwan the necessary capability to defend itself, Representative Shelley Berkley, co-chairperson of the US House of Representatives’ Taiwan Caucus, said yesterday in Taipei.
“I believe the US must honor its commitment to Taiwan, a very reliable ally and democracy. The commitment regarding arms sales must be honored both by the former and the new administration,” she said.
Recent reports from Washington speculated that Beijing could try to strong arm US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her visit China, which begins on Friday, to negotiate for a freer hand with Tibet and Taiwan in exchange for a pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Berkley said Clinton would never be bullied into anything.
Berkley was named as co-chairperson of the 147-member Taiwan Caucus, an informal congressional organization comprised of lawmakers with an interest in boosting Taiwan-US relations, in January 2007.
The Nevada Democrat is in Taiwan at the invitation of Fu Jen Catholic University to participate in events marking the 30th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), a US law that is the backbone of US-Taiwan relations.
Berkley plans to propose a House resolution to commemorate the TRA’s anniversary.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) met Berkley yesterday morning and urged the US government to follow the British government’s recent move to include Taiwan in its visa-waiver program.
Extending such privileges to Taiwan would boost tourism to the US, the persident said, noting that Japan saw an increase of Taiwanese tourists after it granted Taiwanese a 90-day visa free privilege two years ago.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
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