Taiwan has been paying for its own defense, a US Department of State official said on Wednesday, adding that purchases of military equipment are important to the US economy and for ensuring regional security.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller was asked at a news conference about comments by former US president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in November’s US presidential election, who said during an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek that Taiwan should pay Washington for its defense needs.
“The purchases that they [Taiwan] have made not only are important, we believe, to regional security, but are important to the United States economy,” Miller said.
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Citing the security cooperation that the US has provided over the decades, Miller said that Taiwan has purchased necessary military equipment and that “it has not been in any way charity from the United States.”
He also highlighted the importance of cross-strait peace and stability, and how it was essential to the US and the global economy.
The first-ever foreign military financing package for Taiwan that would be partly funded by US taxpayers reflected the US’ long-standing commitment to Taiwan to ensure it has “the defense articles and services necessary for it to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability,” he said.
Separately, Taiwan’s representative office in Washington said that US support for Taiwan has always been bipartisan.
Taiwan is willing and determined to take on more responsibility for its self-defense, the office said.
Meanwhile, two Republican lawmakers on Wednesday said that Taipei is one of the biggest buyers of US defense equipment and reiterated US support for Taiwan.
US Representative Michael McCaul, who chairs the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, made the comments via e-mail after he was asked by the Central News Agency (CNA) about Trump’s interview.
Trump “is right that US allies should always play a significant role in their own defense,” McCaul said. “Taiwan is a perfect example of what we want all our allies to do. They have consistently been one of the biggest buyers of US weapons for its defense.”
The lawmaker also criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration, saying that it was slow to work with the US defense industry to deliver orders that have been paid for on time, including to Taiwan.
“With two hot wars and one hot zone, we need a president who will take the steps needed to get our defense industrial base on track to meet the threats we face today,” McCaul added.
US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, cochair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, told CNA in a separate e-mail that the US Congress stands strongly with its democratic ally and partner Taiwan, emphasizing that Taipei has been instrumental in maintaining peace in the Indo-Pacific region and countering the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
Diaz-Balart, who is also chairman of the US House of Representatives State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee, was one of the sponsors of a series of national security supplemental bills relating to Taiwan that were signed into law earlier this year.
“These critical pieces of legislation included US$2 billion in foreign military financing for Taiwan and partners in the Indo-Pacific to strengthen defense capabilities, promote regional stability and support US national security interests,” he said.
Taiwan has been “one of the largest buyers of US defense equipment, purchased with Taiwan’s own funding, supporting American businesses and jobs,” he added.
“The United States remains steadfast in its support of the people of Taiwan and I have no doubt that will continue under a Trump administration,” he added.
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