The US Department of Defense on Tuesday reaffirmed its pledge to help Taiwan defend itself against Chinese military coercion.
Asked at a news briefing about the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) recent activities near the Taiwan Strait, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the military maneuvers would only create uncertainty in a region where the US wants to see stability and peace.
“The PRC [People’s Republic of China] has stepped up efforts to intimidate and pressure Taiwan and other allies and partners, including increasing their military activities conducted in the vicinity of Taiwan, the East China Sea and the South China Sea,” Kirby said.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
The US believes that those activities “are destabilizing and only increase the risk of miscalculation,” he said.
Despite the recent Chinese shows of force, Kirby said that the US remains committed to keeping the peace in the Taiwan Strait.
“We will continue to support a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, consistent with the wishes and best interests of the people of Taiwan,” Kirby said. “Our commitment to Taiwan is rock solid, and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Strait and within the region.”
Photo: AP
Maintaining that peace and stability is “why we’re going to continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability,” Kirby said.
Asked if the Pentagon would take any concrete actions to defend Taiwan and whether such actions would require congressional approval, the spokesman said that he would not answer hypotheticals.
He reiterated that Washington is acting in accordance with the US’ “one China policy,” which is different from from Beijing’s “one China principle,” under which the Chinese Communist Party asserts sovereignty over Taiwan.
“We take no position on sovereignty over Taiwan,” he said.
Kirby’s comments came amid increasing PLA incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
The military maneuvers led to a warning on Wednesday last week by Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正), who said that the tensions across the Taiwan Strait “are really the grimmest I have seen in more than 40 years of military service.”
Chiu also warned that while invading Taiwan now would incur a high cost for China, by 2025, Beijing would be able to lower that cost.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique