The US reaffirmed its commitment to support the maintenance of Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, in a report outlining Washington’s security and foreign policy priorities published on Wednesday.
The US “will uphold our commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act to support Taiwan’s self-defense and to maintain our capacity to resist any resort to force or coercion against Taiwan,” the National Security Strategy report said.
It said Washington has an abiding interest in maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is “critical to regional and global security and prosperity.”
Photo: REUTERS
The report calls for collaborations with European allies and partners to “play an active role in the Indo-Pacific” while “supporting freedom of navigation and maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
The US opposes any unilateral changes to the “status quo” by either side of the Taiwan Strait, the report said, adding that the US does not support Taiwan’s independence.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said at a news conference the same day that the report recognized two “fundamental strategic challenges” that concern the US’ interests, including the country’s competition with China.
The focus on US interests remains central to US President Joe Biden’s foreign policy vision, he added.
The strategy document also reflects a long list of crises that has left the world facing shared challenges, including climate change, food insecurity, communicable diseases and inflation.
The document addresses the necessity of constraining Russia while competing effectively with China, which the administration has said is the only competitor that has the intent and increasing capability to reshape the international order.
Biden is dealing with increasingly assertive action by China toward Taiwan, a nearly eight-month Russian war in Ukraine that is wracking the global economy, mounting nuclear concerns in Iran and North Korea, and strained relations with oil-rich Saudi Arabia.
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said that some items from the US’ proposed Taiwan policy act relating to security in the Taiwan Strait have been included in the US National Defense Authorization Act for the next fiscal year, the ministry’s Department of North American Affairs Director-General Douglas Hsu (徐佑典) said.
The draft bill, which was passed by the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Sept. 14, has not yet undergone deliberation by the US Senate and House of Representatives.
Hsu said that questions remain about the Taiwan policy act, such as how it would expedite the sale of US arms to Taiwan, help Taiwan and the US respond to “gray zone” tactics by China and help Taiwan enhance its combat capabilities.
“However, we are very happy to see the friendliness toward Taiwan shown by the US Congress, shown through visits to Taipei and specific legislative actions,” he said. “We hope that bilateral ties continue to be strengthened, and that bipartisan support for Taiwan in the US continues to increase.”
Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year at a celebration dampened by rain, while crowds in Taipei braved the elements to watch Taipei 101’s display. South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks struck midnight in Auckland, with a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball was to drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from the 240m Sky Tower. Smaller community events were canceled across New Zealand’s
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
RSS