Members of a subcommittee of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday decried China’s live-fire exercise in the Taiwan Strait yesterday as “cheap ... and tawdry,” saying that if it was a warning, it would be ignored.
Many Taiwanese hope to maintain the “status quo,” but that is already changing due to China’s rise bringing about a threat, not only to the region, but also to Taiwan’s democracy, US Representative Ted Yoho said.
The US should work with Taiwan to find a solution that would provide a sense of safety for Taiwanese, as well as maintaining Taiwan’s democracy and economic liberty, Yoho said.
Photo: CNA
The US should reconsider its “one China” policy and increase interactions with Taiwan, while encouraging Beijing to interact with Taipei without prerequisites and to abandon the use of force, Project 2049 Institute executive director Mark Stokes said.
Stokes also suggested that the administration of US President Donald Trump assess the possibilities of realizing normal, stable and constructive long-term US-Taiwan relations, and expand interactions within the framework of the Taiwan Relations Act and the Taiwan Travel Act.
Julian Ku (古舉倫), a professor of constitutional law at Hofstra University’s Maurice A. Dean School of Law, said the US has been “surprisingly ineffective” in the past regarding its position on Taiwan, despite US Congress on multiple occasions passing motions supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
The US should clearly state that the status of Taiwan must be determined through nonviolent and noncoercive means, Ku said.
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
EVA Airways on Saturday said that it had suspended a pilot and opened an investigation after he allegedly lost his temper and punched the first officer several times as their plane was taxiing before takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport. According to a report published on Thursday by The Reporter, the incident occurred after the flight’s Malaysian first officer tried to warn the Taiwanese pilot, surnamed Wen (文), that he was taxiing faster than the speed limit of 30 knots (55.6kph). After alerting the pilot several times without response, the first officer manually applied the brakes in accordance with standard operating
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
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