The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations.
One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement.
The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in the UN or related organizations.
Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba, AFP
Taiwan thanks the US House of Representatives’ long-term bipartisan support for the nation and for passing the two bills, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said.
“Steadfast support from the US Congress sends a clear message against China’s misuse of UN Resolution 2758 to limit Taiwan’s international space,” she said.
The passage of the bills highlights international society’s correct understanding of the original meaning of UN Resolution 2758, she said, adding that it shows the US’ firm support for Taiwan’s democratic value and international participation, as well as its proactive actions to deepen Taiwan-US relations.
Photo: CNA
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said the two bills show that Taiwan and the US share the same core values of freedom and democracy, and highlight the two countries’ firm commitment to continue deepening their partnership.
“The passage of the two acts is especially meaningful to Taiwan,” he wrote on Facebook, adding that Taiwan would not only remember this friendship and trust, but would continue to cooperate with the US and other like-minded countries to responsibly contribute to regional and global peace and stability.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) added that Taiwan, a responsible member of the international society, would continue to work closely with the US and other like-minded countries, deepening comprehensive partnerships, and together address various global challenges.
The Taiwan International Solidarity Act aims to counter China’s malicious attempt to distort UN Resolution 2758 and obstruct Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, he said.
The act also emphasized that the resolution only established China’s representation in the UN, but made no mention of Taiwan, he added.
“China continues to deliberately extend its misuse of UN Resolution 2758 to suppress Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and block Taiwan’s contributions,” Hsiao said.
Beijing also uses a false “one China principle” to claim that the resolution establishes its sovereignty over Taiwan, he said.
The act demonstrates the US House of Representatives’ concrete action — clarifying the fact through legislation — to counter China’s deliberate distortion of UN Resolution 2758 in the international realm, Hsiao said.
A signaling system malfunction disrupted high-speed rail (HSR) services beginning at 8am today, with trains temporarily reduced to three northbound and three southbound trains per hour as authorities conduct inspections. The malfunction occurred on a section of track in Miaoli County during pre-operation checks early this morning, forcing northbound and southbound trains to use a single track, the HSR operator said. The regular schedule has been replaced with three hourly trains offering only nonreserved seating in each direction, stopping at every station, it said, adding that business class cars would still have reserved seating. Departures from terminal stations are scheduled at the top
DRONE CENTRAL: Taiwan aims to become Asia’s democratic hub for drones, with most exports focused on high-quality military-grade models, an official said Taiwan’s drone industry is expected to expand significantly by 2030, producing 100,000 units per month and exporting half of them, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. Current drone production capacity is about 15,000 units per month, but the industry can quickly scale up as demand increases, Industrial Development Administration Director-General Chiou Chyou-huey (邱求慧) told a news conference in Taipei. Taiwan’s drone output grew 2.5-fold last year to NT$12.9 billion (US$408.3 million) under a government program to develop the uncrewed vehicle sector, he said. The Executive Yuan in October last year approved plans to invest NT$44.2 billion into domestic production of uncrewed aerial
VERBOSE VESSELS: A CGA cutter and a China Coast Guard exchanged verbal barbs for more than a day in Taiwanese-controlled waters before the Chinese vessel left The Taiwanese and Chinese coast guards had a standoff near the strategically located Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the north of the South China Sea, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday. The two sides engaged in intense radio exchanges over sovereignty claims during the 33-hour standoff. China Coast Guard vessel 3501 eventually left the restricted waters, 26.6 nautical miles (49.2km) west of the Pratas Islands, at 5pm yesterday, the CGA said. Lying approximately between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Taiwan-controlled Pratas are seen by some security experts as vulnerable to Chinese attack due to their distance — more than
WARNING: China should stop engaging in actions that undermine regional peace and stability, as it would only build resentment among people across the Strait, the CGA said China has deployed more than 100 navy, coast guard and other vessels in waters from the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea and the western Pacific since US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met in Beijing, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said yesterday. “In this part of the world, #China is the one & only PROBLEM wrecking the #StatusQuo & threatening regional peace & stability,” Wu wrote on X. In a separate post, he said Beijing was coercing Taiwan’s maritime domain, calling it illegal and provocative, after the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) expelled a