The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019 and House Resolution 273 reaffirming the US’ commitment to Taiwan and the implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
The Taiwan Assurance Act was passed without objection, while the resolution was carried in a vote of 414 votes in favor, zero against and 17 abstentions.
“It is the sense of [the US] Congress that Taiwan is a vital part of the United States free and open Indo-Pacific strategy,” the Taiwan Assurance Act reads.
Photo: Reuters
The US should “conduct regular sales and transfers of defense articles to Taiwan in order to enhance its self-defense capabilities, particularly its efforts to develop and integrate asymmetric capabilities, including undersea warfare and defense capabilities, into its military forces,” it says.
In the fourth section on “Taiwan’s Inclusion in International Organizations,” the Taiwan Assurance Act says that it is US policy to advocate for the nation’s “meaningful participation” in international bodies “as appropriate,” giving as examples the UN, the World Health Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol.
It is also US policy to advocate for Taiwan’s membership in the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNESCO and “other international organizations for which statehood is not a requirement for membership,” it says.
It requires the US secretary of state to review the US Department of State’s guidance governing relations with Taiwan, including its “Guidelines on Relations with Taiwan” and other documents, and to reissue the guidance to the US government’s executive branch departments and agencies within 180 days of enactment.
Meanwhile, the resolution says that the TRA and the “six assurances” have been “essential components in helping to maintain peace, security and stability in the Western Pacific,” and are “cornerstones” of US policy toward Taiwan.
The House encourages mutual visits between US and Taiwanese officials, per the Taiwan Travel Act that was signed into law in March last year, the resolution says.
It also reiterates that the US president should conduct “regular transfers of defense articles to Taiwan consistent with Taiwan’s national security requirements in accordance to prior legislation.”
It calls on the secretary of state to “actively engage internationally in support of Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations engaged in addressing transnational threats and challenges,” and recognizes Taiwan’s “partnership in combating global terrorism.”
In Taipei yesterday, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) thanked the House for its support, saying that the passage of the resolution is especially important on the 40th anniversary of the TRA.
Calling the US Taiwan’s “most important partner in the international community,” Chang said that the government’s efforts over the past three years have allowed it to be seen as a reliable partner in maintaining the “status quo” of regional peace and stability.
Taiwan’s strategic importance is no longer restricted to the Taiwan Strait, but now includes the Pacific, he said.
Taiwan would continue to play a role in maintaining the “status quo” of regional peace and stability with its partners, he added.
WAITING GAME: The US has so far only offered a ‘best rate tariff,’ which officials assume is about 15 percent, the same as Japan, a person familiar with the matter said Taiwan and the US have completed “technical consultations” regarding tariffs and a finalized rate is expected to be released soon, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference yesterday, as a 90-day pause on US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs is set to expire today. The two countries have reached a “certain degree of consensus” on issues such as tariffs, nontariff trade barriers, trade facilitation, supply chain resilience and economic security, Lee said. They also discussed opportunities for cooperation, investment and procurement, she said. A joint statement is still being negotiated and would be released once the US government has made
NEW GEAR: On top of the new Tien Kung IV air defense missiles, the military is expected to place orders for a new combat vehicle next year for delivery in 2028 Mass production of Tien Kung IV (Sky Bow IV) missiles is expected to start next year, with plans to order 122 pods, the Ministry of National Defense’s (MND) latest list of regulated military material showed. The document said that the armed forces would obtain 46 pods of the air defense missiles next year and 76 pods the year after that. The Tien Kung IV is designed to intercept cruise missiles and ballistic missiles to an altitude of 70km, compared with the 60km maximum altitude achieved by the Missile Segment Enhancement variant of PAC-3 systems. A defense source said yesterday that the number of
‘CRUDE’: The potential countermeasure is in response to South Africa renaming Taiwan’s representative offices and the insistence that it move out of Pretoria Taiwan is considering banning exports of semiconductors to South Africa after the latter unilaterally downgraded and changed the names of Taiwan’s two representative offices, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. On Monday last week, the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation unilaterally released a statement saying that, as of April 1, the Taipei Liaison Offices in Pretoria and Cape Town had been renamed the “Taipei Commercial Office in Johannesburg” and the “Taipei Commercial Office in Cape Town.” Citing UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, it said that South Africa “recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the sole
Taiwanese exports to the US are to be subject to a 20 percent tariff starting on Thursday next week, according to an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump yesterday. The 20 percent levy was the same as the tariffs imposed on Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh by Trump. It was higher than the tariffs imposed on Japan, South Korea and the EU (15 percent), as well as those on the Philippines (19 percent). A Taiwan official with knowledge of the matter said it is a "phased" tariff rate, and negotiations would continue. "Once negotiations conclude, Taiwan will obtain a better