The US would continue to help Taiwan bolster its ability to defend itself, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene said in a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday.
Greene assumed his new role as AIT director on Monday, serving as Washington’s top envoy to Taiwan.
“First of all, and the most important thing, the US will strongly support Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities,” Greene said.
Photo: Presidential Office via AP
“We both have common and long-term interests in peace and stability over the Taiwan Strait,” he added.
This support was in line with Washington’s long-standing policy guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques and the “six assurances,” he said.
Greene, who delivered his remarks in Mandarin, stressed the need to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, describing it as a common and long-term interest of Taipei and Washington, and as extremely important for global security and prosperity.
He also said he was “confident that with the support of the global democratic community, we can safeguard Taiwan’s democracy.”
Calling Taiwan “a key partner” in promoting trade and the global supply chain resilience, Greene said he was looking forward to working with the Lai administration to advance bilateral economic, cultural and technological cooperation.
In his remarks, Lai thanked the US for showing its commitment to supporting Taiwan’s efforts to improve its security, mentioning in particular the 15 announcements of arms sales to Taiwan under the administration of US President Joe Biden.
Lai reiterated his pledge to maintain the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, despite increasing challenges posed by China, and expressed the hope of working closely with the US and other like-minded countries in support of the prosperity and development of the Indo-Pacific region.
As a career diplomat, Greene has previously been posted to Taiwan twice, including serving as deputy AIT director from 2018 to 2021.
Before arriving in Taiwan to take charge of the AIT, which represents US interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties, Greene was deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Japan.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
RSS