Members of the US Congress have formally asked US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to invite Taiwan to join the Rim of Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise next year.
RIMPAC is held every two years and is the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise.
“It is critical for the US to maintain a relationship with Taiwan equal to that which we maintain with China,” US House of Representatives Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee Chairman Randy Forbes said on Monday.
“Taiwan has been a faithful, democratic ally of the US for decades,” the Republican Forbes said.
A co-chairman of the Congressional China Caucus, Forbes said that while China has been invited to join the RIMPAC exercise next year, Taiwan has not, despite “the opportunity to enhance its humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities.”
Led by Forbes, eight members of Congress have signed a bipartisan letter requesting Hagel to issue an invitation to Taipei.
Next year’s RIMPAC will include 23 nations and will focus on enhancing the interoperability of combined forces to improve maritime security.
“It is our understanding that the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] Navy, after being invited to participate by your predecessor, Leon Panetta, is planning to contribute several Navy ships to the exercise,” the US representatives say in their letter.
“We believe it is beneficial for the US to maintain a relationship with Taiwan equal to the relationship our government chooses to maintain with [China],” the letter says.
For the same reasons that the PRC has been invited to join RIMPAC, which include building a closer maritime relationship and enhancing critical nautical skills useful for maintaining peace and stability in the region, “an invitation should also be extended to Taiwan,” the letter says.
Participation in the exercises will help Taiwan respond to disasters and contribute to the “security and stability” of the Asia-Pacific region.
The lawmakers say that there is a “strong precedent” for bilateral and multilateral engagement with Taiwan.
Since 1997, the US Air Force has trained Taiwan’s F-16 pilots at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, alongside Singapore Air Force pilots.
The US has stressed the importance of this training and said that Taiwan is one of the major powers in Asia and the Western Pacific and a key partner of the US in “ensuring peace and stability in that region.”
“We could not agree more with the benefits of this effort and believe Taiwan and the region will only benefit from extending our training and exercises to the maritime realm,” the lawmakers say in their letter.
“America’s long-standing relationship with its democratic partner in Taiwan is stronger than ever, but we believe there are still areas where we should continue to deepen this partnership,” they say. “We therefore hope you strongly consider our request to expand military exercises with Taiwan and extend an invitation for their participation in RIMPAC 2014.”
A Pentagon source said on Monday that he could not comment on the letter until after it had been received and considered by Hagel.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS