The US is redoubling its support for the self-defense capabilities of Taiwan and other partners to counter the threat to regional stability posed by China’s rise, US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins said on Thursday at a hearing of the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The US Department of State and the US Department of Defense routinely exercise leadership and engage in discussions with allies and partners to improve diplomatic, informational, military and economic apparatus used to stabilize the Indo-Pacific region, Jenkins said.
Washington additionally conducts long-term defense and security aid programs to support the conventional military powers of allies in the region, she said.
Photo: screen grab from the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs’ Web site
“Be it the Republic of [South] Korea, Japan, Taiwan or the Philippines, we continue to ensure stability in the region by investing in our allies’ and partners’ capabilities to defend themselves,” Jenkins said.
The US Congress last month passed a US$95 billion aid package for Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, which US President Joe Biden signed into law.
The package included a US$8.1 billion fund to supplement Indo-Pacific security, a US$2 billion foreign military financing fund, a US$1.9 billion fund for backfilling weapon systems diverted to Ukraine from other allies and a US$542 million budget for the use of the US Indo-Pacific Command.
In other developments, US senators across party lines on Thursday proposed a resolution to reject China’s mischaracterization of UN Resolution 2758, saying Beijing’s claim of sovereignty over Taiwan based on the resolution is not accepted by the world.
US Senator Jim Risch, a ranking Republican member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, proposed the resolution, reaffirming that the “one China policy” of the US is not equivalent to the “one China principle” of the Chinese Communist Party.
“The passage of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 in 1971 does not mean the world accepts China’s claimed sovereignty over Taiwan. Moreover, the United States’ ‘one China policy’ is not the same as China’s ‘one China principle,’” Risch said in a statement.
“Chinese leaders know this, but spread this propaganda to deny Taiwan’s ability to engage with international organizations. This resolution sets the record straight. The United States can and should push back on China’s false narratives at every opportunity,” the statement said.
Resolution 2758 was adopted by the 26th UN General Assembly in 1971 to solve the issue of China’s representation at the UN. It ultimately led to the Republic of China withdrawing from the UN and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) taking its place.
The resolution passed on Oct. 25, 1971, recognizes the PRC as the “only lawful representative of China.”
However, Taiwan and US governments have repeatedly argued that the resolution does not mention Taiwan, does not state that Taiwan is part of the PRC and does not explicitly authorize Beijing to represent Taiwan at the UN.
According to the seven-page resolution introduced by the two US senators, China has weaponized UN Resolution 2758 and the “one China principle” to isolate Taiwan and prevent the nation’s meaningful participation at the UN, UN-affiliated agencies and other international organizations.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative