The US Senate on Tuesday approved US$95 billion in aid to Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, with the package of bills containing the funding expected to be signed into law after press time last night.
The Senate passed the bills in a 79-18 vote after the US House of Representatives on Saturday approved the package, which US President Joe Biden said he would sign.
“Tonight, a bipartisan majority in the Senate joined the House to answer history’s call at this critical inflection point,” Biden said.
Photo: AP
The legislation would send US$26 billion in wartime assistance to Israel and humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza, and US$8 billion to counter Chinese threats to Taiwan and in the Indo-Pacific.
US officials said that about US$1 billion of the aid package could be on its way shortly, with the bulk following in coming weeks.
In Taipei yesterday, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) thanked the US for its support, including the Senate’s action, in a meeting with a US delegation.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan will continue to work with the US and other countries to bolster the “pan-democratic alliance,” and create global prosperity and stability, Tsai told the delegation at the Presidential Office.
Tsai thanked the delegation, which comprises US representatives Lisa McClain, Dan Kildee and Mark Alford, for their efforts to advance legislation that would support Taiwan’s participation on the international stage.
She also thanked the US House of Representatives for its work to advance the Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, which would allocate funding for continued Taiwan-US collaboration.
Photo: AFP
Tsai also thanked the delegation members for their roles in enhancing Taiwan-US collaboration.
With this year marking 45 years since the US’ Taiwan Relations Act became law, Taiwan and the US should boost their collaborations to contribute to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and to limit authoritarian expansion, she said.
Tsai reiterated the nation’s gratitude for Washington’s military sales to Taiwan based on the “six assurances” and the Taiwan Relations Act.
In addition to completing the first batch of agreements under the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade, hopefully the US-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act would be finalized soon, Tsai said, adding that the two sides are important trade partners.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday inaugurated the Danjiang Bridge across the Tamsui River in New Taipei City, saying that the structure would be an architectural icon and traffic artery for Taiwan. Feted as a major engineering achievement, the Danjiang Bridge is 920m long, 211m tall at the top of its pylon, and is the longest single-pylon asymmetric cable-stayed bridge in the world, the government’s Web site for the structure said. It was designed by late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. The structure, with a maximum deck of 70m, accommodates road and light rail traffic, and affords a 200m navigation channel for boats,
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