Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Tuesday held a series of “very successful, very positive” closed-door meetings with top Washington officials and politicians.
She held discussions with US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain and the committee’s ranking Democratic member, Jack Reed. Republican Senator Dan Sullivan was also present.
For reasons of diplomatic protocol, DPP Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) later said that he could not reveal the names of US government officials that Tsai would meet or details of the discussions.
Photo: CNA
However, Washington sources said that she was expected to spend time with US National Security Adviser Susan Rice, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Danny Russel and US Trade Representative Michael Froman.
Tsai is in the US capital this week to brief members of US President Barack Obama’s administration, Capitol Hill politicians and think tank members about her policies and plans should she win next year’s presidential election.
At a media briefing held late on Tuesday, Wu said that while many people have characterized the visit as a “test” or “interview” for Tsai, that is not correct.
He said she is in Washington to “harvest the fruits” of the work undertaken over the past two years by members of the DPP mission to the US.
The three-person mission has been operating on a tight budget with funds raised by Taiwanese-Americans, but has been doing “a superb” job, he said.
As a result, the treatment that Tsai and her DPP delegation had received was much improved, he added.
“Everything has been easier and more positive than in the past,” the secretary-general said.
Wu said there were no particular issues that needed to be clarified during the visit and that Tsai would focus on discussions about “how to make Taiwan stronger.”
He said that she wanted to strengthen the nation’s trade relationships in a way that would create momentum in the domestic economy.
During Tsai’s meeting with the three senators, concern was expressed about Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea and its security implications.
Wu said that under a DPP administration, the South China Sea policy would be to adhere to international law and address disputes through international legal channels.
“We will safeguard our sovereignty and what is rightfully ours,” he said.
While in the US, Wu said that Tsai and members of her delegation would not discuss domestic politics or the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
“We do not criticize our government while abroad,” he said.
Wu said there was concern in the US about Taiwan preserving its economic autonomy and freedom of action in the economic realm. A major target is to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, he said.
Wu said that Taiwan needed to improve its economic institutions to make sure it would be able to participate in the TPP.
“The regulatory structures that exist in Taiwan right now are not conducive to attracting foreign investment,” he said. “Government bureaucracies are very slow and very inefficient, so it makes foreign capital less interested in investing in Taiwan.”
At a US Department of State briefing this week, US Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications Marie Harf said that Tsai’s visit was welcome and that “we look forward to a productive exchange.”
Asked if the administration was concerned about a possible negative reaction from Beijing, Harf said: “We have an interest in a comprehensive, durable and mutually beneficial partnership with Taiwan.”
Harf said that was fully consistent with the “one China” policy based on the Three Joint Communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act.
“You can support Taiwan’s security and freedom from coercion, you can promote Taiwan’s economic prosperity and help people in Taiwan enjoy the respect they deserve in the international community, while supporting at the same time our policy, that has not changed,” Harf said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft