The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the US military budget for next year, with an amendment that directs the US secretary of defense to grant Taiwan observer status in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC).
The amendment, proposed by Mark Walker, a Republican from North Carolina, “directs the Secretary of Defense to grant observer status to the military forces of Taiwan in any maritime exercise known as the Rim of the Pacific Exercise.”
The amendment specified that “this section takes effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.”
Other amendments related to Taiwan include a requirement that the US secretary of defense submit a report at the end of each fiscal year listing each request received from Taiwan, and each letter of offer to sell defense articles or services to Taiwan during that year.
The approved bill also states that the secretary of defense should conduct a program of senior military exchanges between the US and Taiwan with the objective of improving bilateral military relations and defense cooperation.
The bill also mentions the Taiwan Relations Act, saying it is the US’ policy to provide Taiwan with defensive arms and to maintain the capacity of the US “to defend against any forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”
South Korean K-pop girl group Blackpink are to make Kaohsiung the first stop on their Asia tour when they perform at Kaohsiung National Stadium on Oct. 18 and 19, the event organizer said yesterday. The upcoming performances will also make Blackpink the first girl group ever to perform twice at the stadium. It will be the group’s third visit to Taiwan to stage a concert. The last time Blackpink held a concert in the city was in March 2023. Their first concert in Taiwan was on March 3, 2019, at NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena). The group’s 2022-2023 “Born Pink” tour set a
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