A delegation led by US Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Keith Krach yesterday ended their visit, with the government saying that Taiwan and the US would continue to bolster economic ties.
After arriving in Taiwan on Thursday afternoon, the delegation yesterday attended a memorial service for former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and exchanged opinions with high-ranking officials and members of different sectors over various issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Krach is the highest-ranking US Department of State official to visit Taiwan since the two nations cut relations in 1979, it said.
Photo provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via CNA
Based on discussions with the group, the government would continue to work with the US to strengthen economic ties and bilateral partnerships, it added.
After hosting an evening banquet with delegation members at the presidential residence on Friday, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) posted several photographs of the meeting on Facebook, which showed that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀) also attended the dinner.
They were joined by Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津), Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花), National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄) and Minister Without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中).
Photo: AFP / Presidential Office
Tsai wrote on Facebook that they had in-depth exchanges, adding that she hopes for additional dialogue.
Most of the US delegation’s meetings were held behind closed doors, unlike last month’s visit from a delegation led by US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.
Keeping Krach’s meetings low-profile was not entirely Taiwan’s choice, a source familiar with the matter said, adding that there were some communications between agencies in Washington.
The Office of the US Trade Representative, which manages trade discussions, was viewing the visit closely, and might decide Taiwan has not made enough concessions or be watching how it resolves a disagreement over US pork imports containing ractopamine residues, they said.
The office might also be concerned if Krach’s delegation made too many commitments to Taiwan that create obstacles to future trade negotiations, they added.
Krach’s visit to Taiwan is already a diplomatic breakthrough, showing that Taiwan and the US can have more direct and closer communication, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said.
Prior to the administration of US President Donald Trump, Taiwan’s affairs were rarely a priority for the US, and Washington often viewed Taiwan through the lens of Beijing, he added.
After Krach commenced “preparatory talks” for the Taiwan-US Economic and Commercial Dialogue, other US officials might visit, he said.
Meanwhile, Chang’s attendance at the banquet showed that Taiwan could play a vital role in the US’ plans to promote its 5G Clean Path initiative and restructuring supply chains related to information technology, Wang added.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
‘NOT SUBORDINATE’: Only Taiwanese can decide the nation’s future, and people preserving their democratic way of life is not a provocation, President William Lai said Taiwan does not want China’s “one country, two systems,” and must uphold its freedom and democracy as well as resolve to defend itself, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, rejecting Beijing’s latest bid to bring the country under Chinese control. The president made the remarks while attending a commissioning ceremony for Taiwan’s first battalion of M1A2T Abrams tanks in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口). The tanks are made by General Dynamics, a major US defense contractor. China this week said it “absolutely will not” rule out using force over Taiwan, striking a much tougher tone than a series of articles in state media
RSS