The relationship between Taiwan and the US is “rock solid,” American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Sandra Oudkirk said yesterday, as she reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to help Taipei defend itself.
“We believe in deepening our engagement and connections with the people of Taiwan consistent with US interests and our ‘one China’ policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three [Joint] Communiques and the six assurances,” Oudkirk said during her first news conference at AIT headquarters in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖) after assuming the post in July.
“The value of our partnership and our support for Taiwan is rock solid. We are committed to deepening our ties with Taiwan — a leading democracy and a critical economic and security partner,” she said.
Photo: AP
Oudkirk said that the relationship’s key elements are maintaining security cooperation, expanding bilateral economic partnerships, preserving Taiwan’s international space, bolstering people-to-people ties, and seeking cooperation in new areas such as cybersecurity and supply chains.
“We continue to have a shared and abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The US considers this central to the security and stability of the broader Indo-Pacific region and to the United States, and we are deeply concerned by ongoing PRC [People’s Republic of China] efforts to undermine that stability,” she said.
“We are committed to helping Taiwan maintain its ability to defend itself and also to work together on shared challenges, like maritime law enforcement, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the Indo-Pacific region,” she added.
In an interview with CNN broadcast on Thursday, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) confirmed the presence of US military personnel in Taiwan.
Oudkirk reaffirmed the US’ commitment to help Taiwan defend itself, but declined to comment further on the president’s statement.
Asked about a referendum in December, Oudkirk defended the importation of US pork products to Taiwan.
One of four referendums scheduled for Dec. 18, initiated by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲), is to ask voters if a ban on pork products containing residues of the feed additive ractopamine should be reinstated.
The government in January lifted a ban on pork imports containing ractopamine residue, but introduced maximum allowable levels, as well as a ban on US beef from cattle older than 30 months.
The moves are widely seen as intended to improve trade ties with Washington.
“I would like to say at the outset that the United States has a rigorous and reliable food safety inspection system [that] dates back 100 years. I eat American pork and feed it to my children. It’s safe. It’s tasty,” Oudkirk said. “I would encourage Taiwan consumers to do the same.”
Oudkirk on Oct. 12 met with KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) at the party’s headquarters, the KMT has said.
Oudkirk said that she could not disclose the contents of their private discussions, but they talked about many issues of mutual interest.
The AIT in December last year called on Taiwanese politicians not to spread unfounded information about US food imports, after Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) of the KMT told Oudkirk’s predecessor, Brent Christensen, that many people objected to lifting the ban on the pork imports.
Asked to comment on a request by the US Department of Commerce that Taiwanese chipmakers provide information to Washington, Oudkirk said that the department encouraged companies around the world, not just in Taiwan, to provide information for its policymaking process.
The department wants to learn from the companies about a field in which they have more knowledge, she said.
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
REBUFFED: In response to Chinese criticism over recent arms sales, Washington urged Beijing to engage in meaningful dialogue instead of threats and intimidation Washington’s long-term commitment to Taiwan would not change, the US Department of State said yesterday, urging Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan and engage in meaningful bilateral dialogues. The remarks came in response to a backlash from Beijing about Washington’s latest approval of arms sales to Taiwan. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement on Wednesday that the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US has asked to purchase an arms package, including Tactical Mission Network Software; AH-1W helicopter spare and repair parts; M109A7 self-propelled howitzers; HIMARS long range precision strike systems; tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missiles; Javelin
RSS