The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its gratitude for comments by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in a speech in Singapore on Tuesday that reiterated Washington’s commitment to Taiwan’s security.
Austin delivered the speech, titled “The imperative of partnership,” at the 40th Fullerton Lecture, which was hosted by the UK International Institute for Strategic Studies.
“I’ve come to Southeast Asia to deepen America’s bonds with the allies and partners on whom our common security depends... And I never take an ally for granted,” Austin said.
Photo: Reuters
The most urgent task is to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, adding that a global recovery requires global vaccination.
The Indo-Pacific region was made a top priority in US President Joe Biden’s plan to deliver more than 500 million COVID-19 vaccine doses worldwide, he said, adding that over the past two months, the US has donated about 40 million doses in the region, including to Taiwan, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, he said.
With new threats and technologies changing the face and pace of warfare, the US, along with its allies and partners, is operating under a new vision called “integrated deterrence,” which included the so-called “gray zone,” where the rights and livelihoods of Southeast Asians are coming under stress, he said.
“Meanwhile, we are working with Taiwan to enhance its own capabilities and to increase its readiness to deter threats and coercion, upholding our commitments under the [US’] Taiwan Relations Act, and consistent with our one China policy,” he added.
Beijing’s claim to the vast majority of the South China Sea has no basis in international law, Austin said.
“We have also seen [Beijing’s] aggression against India, destabilizing military activity and other forms of coercion against the people of Taiwan, and genocide and crimes against humanity against Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang,” he said.
“We will not flinch when our interests are threatened. Yet we do not seek confrontation,” Austin said.
“As secretary, I am committed to pursuing a constructive, stable relationship with China, including stronger crisis communications with the [Chinese] People’s Liberation Army,” he said. “You know, big powers need to model transparency and communication — and we hope that we can work together with Beijing on common challenges, especially the threat of climate change.”
In Taipei, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) thanked Austin for reiterating Washington’s commitment to Taiwan’s security, as well as thanking the Biden administration for donating 2.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Taiwan.
The Biden administration has repeatedly said that its commitment to Taiwan is “rock solid” under the Taiwan Relations Act and the “six assurances,” while engaging with its allies to underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Ou said.
As a close partner of the US in the Indo-Pacific region, the nation would continue to boost its defense capabilities, and contribute to peace and stability across the Strait and the region, she said.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS