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 US government has signed defense cooperation agreements with Japan and the Philippines to boost the deterrence capabilities of countries in the first island chain, a report by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The main countries on the first island chain include the two nations and Taiwan. The bureau is to present the report at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee tomorrow. The US military has deployed Typhon missile systems to Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture and Zambales province in the Philippines during their joint military exercises. It has also installed NMESIS anti-ship systems in Japan’s Okinawa
‘WIN-WIN’: The Philippines, and central and eastern European countries are important potential drone cooperation partners, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in an interview published yesterday confirmed that there are joint ventures between Taiwan and Poland in the drone industry. Lin made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). The government-backed Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems on Wednesday last week signed a memorandum of understanding in Poland to develop a “non-China” supply chain for drones and work together on key technologies. Asked if Taiwan prioritized Poland among central and eastern European countries in drone collaboration, Lin
ON ALERT: Taiwan’s partners would issue warnings if China attempted to use Interpol to target Taiwanese, and the global body has mechanisms to prevent it, an official said China has stationed two to four people specializing in Taiwan affairs at its embassies in several democratic countries to monitor and harass Taiwanese, actions that the host nations would not tolerate, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday. Tsai made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, which asked him and Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to report on potential conflicts in the Taiwan Strait and military preparedness. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) expressed concern that Beijing has posted personnel from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office to its
BACK TO WORK? Prosecutors said they are considering filing an appeal, while the Hsinchu City Government said it has applied for Ann Kao’s reinstatement as mayor The High Court yesterday found suspended Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) not guilty of embezzling assistant fees, reducing her sentence to six months in prison commutable to a fine from seven years and four months. The verdict acquitted Kao of the corruption charge, but found her guilty of causing a public official to commit document forgery. The High Prosecutors’ Office said it is reviewing the ruling and considering whether to file an appeal. The Taipei District Court in July last year sentenced Kao to seven years and four months in prison, along with a four-year deprivation of civil rights, for contravening the Anti-Corruption
RSS