President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday congratulated US president-elect Joe Biden on winning the US presidential election.
“Now it is my turn to extend congratulations to @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris on being elected President & VP-elect. The values on which we have built our relationship could not be stronger. I look fwd to working together to further our friendship, & contributions to int’l society,” Tsai wrote on Twitter.
Tsai in the morning met with Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄) and other national security officials to discuss the state of US-Taiwan relations, a source said.
They also contacted Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) to hear her perspective on the issue, the source said.
Based on current indicators, the government is confident that US-Taiwan trade ties would remain stable under the new US administration, they added.
Although the incoming US Democratic Party administration has yet to formulate foreign-trade policies, information from congressional representatives across party lines, as well as think tanks, indicate that the US will maintain its trade relationship with Taiwan, the source said.
The US is also likely to continue selling weapons to Taiwan, as suggested by Democratic US representatives’ approval of such sales in the past, the source said, adding that an arms package with items important to Taiwan’s asymmetrical warfare capabilities have recently been approved.
Su said Taiwan-US relations would flourish under the Biden administration.
With years of friendship and partnership between Taiwan and the US, as well as the democratic values shared by the two sides, the Biden administration would definitely value Taiwan more, Su said in response to media queries.
Su sidestepped a question about progress on a trade deal with the US, saying instead that Taiwan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed the country to continue to grow its economy.
The US has also spoken up for Taiwan on numerous occasions, and the two sides would work to further advance their relationship, he added.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) also congratulated Biden and US vice president-elect Kamala Harris on their victory.
“The KMT looks forward to a continued reciprocal and cooperative partnership between the US under the leadership of Mr. Biden and the Republic of China (Taiwan),” the KMT said in a statement, “as well as more constructive developments in international participation, trade, democracy, and security cooperation.”
“American people once again show the world how to make democracy work,” the KMT wrote on Twitter.
KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) congratulated Biden and Harris on Twitter, writing: “We look fwd to enhancing the ROC (Taiwan)-US relations with your administration.”
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old