US President Joe Biden on Thursday vowed to support peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the first time he has done so in a state of the union address.
“We’re standing up ... for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” Biden said.
Regarding China, Biden said that the US wants “competition ... but not conflict,” adding that “we’re in a stronger position to win the competition for the 21st century against China or anyone else for that matter.”
Photo: AFP
While “standing up against China’s unfair economic practices,” the US has reduced its trade deficit with China to a decade-low and ensured that none of the most advanced US technologies are used in China’s weapons, he said.
In other news, US International Development Finance Corp chief of staff Jane Rhee yesterday said that the agency is ready to advance cooperation with Taiwan.
Rhee led a delegation to Taiwan on Thursday and yesterday to explore cooperative opportunities with the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), the Taiwan External Trade Development Council and the private sector.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a roundtable yesterday for the delegation to interact with Taiwanese representatives from industries including infrastructure, electric vehicles, emerging technologies and banking.
The US agency was established in 2019 to “mobilize private-sector capital to help countries around the world meet critical needs,” Rhee said.
Representative to the US Alexander Yui and American Institute in Taiwan Managing Director Ingrid Larson on Feb. 22 signed a memorandum of understanding on international development cooperation, under which the ICDF and International Development Finance Corp would explore development cooperation in third countries.
The US corporation is dedicated to working with partners on projects around the world to spur local economic growth, and with which to improve the livelihoods of people and communities, Rhee said.
“We’re positioned to partner with Taiwan” in the effort, she said.
Rhee underlined the importance of bringing “shared values of transparency, high standards and responsiveness to local needs and conditions” to the projects the corporation invests in, rather than just the private capital and the financing.
Yesterday’s discussion focused on projects in several priority areas such as Latin America, the Pacific islands and the Caribbean, she said.
ICDF Deputy Secretary-General Alex Shyy (史立軍) told reporters that many of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies are developing countries that are priorities for the cooperation between the US agency and the ICDF.
The ICDF is to continue working with the corporation to provide assistance to Taiwan’s allies, particularly in areas such as women’s empowerment, health, development of small and medium-sized enterprises and climate change, he said.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China yesterday launched Operation MIST, calling on countries around the world to “Measure the Impact of a Shock in the Taiwan Strait” and prepare for it accordingly.
“Securing stability across the Taiwan Strait is all of our responsibility and instability is a problem for the whole world,” alliance members said in a video on X.
A possible blockade of Taiwan is a “very real risk,” that could cost the world US$10 trillion or more, which is “unthinkable” and “something we can’t allow,” they said.
“More must be done” to protect Taiwanese and their right to self-determination as well as people around the world, they added.
The alliance, comprising more than 250 parliamentarians from more than 30 countries, aims to promote parliamentary cooperation to require China to act in line with international norms, global security and universal human rights through legislation, the ministry said.
Additional reporting by Yang Cheng-yu
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