Leaders of the US Congressional Taiwan Caucus have written to US President Barack Obama urging him to remember Taiwan’s “vital interests” during the two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) which starts today in California.
“Taiwan is a strong democracy, a close trading partner, and an ally of the US,” they said in the letter.
It is signed by Republican representatives Mario Diaz-Balart and John Carter, and Democratic representatives Gerald Connolly and Albio Sires.
“While we recognize that your discussions with Chinese leaders will cover a range of issues, we hope that you will be mindful of Taiwan’s needs,” the letter said.
The four Congressional members — all co-chairs of the caucus — said that should matters concerning Taiwan be raised, “we urge you to emphasize” that the US position remains clear, consistent with the assurances that the US offered Taiwan in 1982, that is, the US will support Taiwan’s security and will continue to provide it with arms as required under the Taiwan Relations Act.
They reminded Obama that it is US policy to consider any non-peaceful means to determine Taiwan’s future “a threat” to the peace and security of the Western Pacific, and of “grave concern” to the US.
China “has engaged in a large-scale military build-up over the past few years and has not abandoned the threat of force, with over 1,600 ballistic and cruise missiles now being aimed at Taiwan, a significant increase from the previous year,” they wrote.
Taiwan is now one of the main targets of Chinese cyberwarfare, the Congressional members said, and it is “of the utmost importance” that Beijing understands the US’ firm commitment to ensuring that Taiwan has the tools to defend itself.
“We also hope you will raise the issue of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, as it will greatly benefit Taiwan and the rest of the world if Taiwan can be included in the International Civil Aviation Organization and other multilateral bodies,” the letter said.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
SENATE RECOMMENDATION: The National Defense Authorization Act encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s navy to participate in the exercises in Hawaii The US Senate on Thursday last week passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which strongly encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s naval forces to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, as well as allocating military aid of US$1 billion for Taiwan. The bill, which authorizes appropriations for the military activities of the US Department of Defense, military construction and other purposes, passed with 77 votes in support and 20 against. While the NDAA authorizes about US$925 billion of defense spending, the Central News Agency yesterday reported that an aide of US
NATIONAL DAY: The ‘Taiwan Dome’ would form the centerpiece of new efforts to bolster air defense and be modeled after Israel’s ‘Iron Dome,’ sources said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday pledged to strengthen the nation’s air defense capabilities and build a “T-Dome” system to create a safety net against growing military threats from China. “We will accelerate our building of the T-Dome, establish a rigorous air defense system in Taiwan with multi-layered defense, high-level detection and effective interception, and weave a safety net for Taiwan to protect the lives and property of citizens,” he said in his National Day address. In his keynote address marking the Republic of China’s (ROC) 114th anniversary, Lai said the lessons of World War II have taught nations worldwide “to ensure that
RSS