A US congressional commission on Wednesday recommended that US President Donald Trump’s administration give more support to Taiwan’s efforts to enhance its defense capabilities by adopting such steps as inviting Taiwan to military exercises and increasing high-level exchanges with nation’s military.
In its annual report to the US Congress, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission said that Congress should urge the administration to invite Taiwan to participate, at least as an observer, in US-led bilateral and multilateral military and security-related exercises, including the Rim of the Pacific maritime exercise, Red Flag air-to-air combat training exercises and the Cyber Storm cybersecurity exercise.
The commission also recommended that Congress urge the executive branch to reexamine its practices regarding reciprocal visits by senior US and Taiwanese military officers and civilian officials, including Cabinet-level officials and senior US National Security Council officials, as part of an effort to enhance US-Taiwan relations.
In addition, the commission said Congress should ensure relevant US military personnel is sufficiently familiar with Taiwan’s defense situation by allocating funds for US military personnel to take courses at Taiwanese defense-educational institutions and in an unofficial capacity through the American Institute in Taiwan.
Taiwan has embarked on a robust program to enhance its defensive capabilities by investing in the domestic defense industry, procuring US weapons systems and transitioning to an all-volunteer force, the commission said.
However, these efforts face a major challenge from the scope and speed of the modernization of the Chinese military, it added.
Politically, Beijing continues to increase pressure on Taipei in response to President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) refusal to endorse the so-called “1992 consensus,” the commission said, adding that over the past year, Beijing’s pressure on Taipei over its participation in the international community has also become more pronounced.
The commission was created by the US Congress in 2000 to monitor the impact of China on the US economic and security interests.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Beijing that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 said that he had made up the term in 2000.
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