The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it welcomes Washington’s persistence in upholding the promises contained in the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) following a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
Ahead of the meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Thursday and Friday last week, White House and US Department of State officials publicly said on several occasions that Trump will adhere to the US’ “one China” policy, the ministry said.
US officials have also reiterated that the US will continue to uphold its promises based on the TRA and that there is no change to its long-term stance on relations with Taiwan, the ministry added.
The ministry said it welcomes the specific statements, which it praised for adhering to the stance that the US government has upheld since 1979 and the “no surprises” approach in the development of Taiwan-US relations.
The TRA was enacted in 1979 to maintain commercial, cultural and other unofficial relations between Taiwan and the US after Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
The act also requires the US “to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character.”
The ministry also said that the government has paid close attention to the meeting and has kept in touch with US officials.
Relations between Taiwan and China have been at a standstill since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and her pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party came to power in May last year.
Beijing has frozen official talks between the two sides because of Tsai’s refusal to accept the so-called “1992 consensus” as the basis for all cross-strait interactions.
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese government that both sides acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)
Traffic controls are to be in place in Taipei starting tonight, police said, as rallies supporting recall efforts targeting the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers as well as a rally organized by the KMT opposing the recall campaigns are to take place tomorrow. Traffic controls are to be in place on City Hall Road starting from 10pm tonight and on Jinan Road Section 1 starting from 8am tomorrow, police said. Recall campaign groups in Taipei and New Taipei advocating for the recall of KMT legislators, along with the Safeguard Taiwan, Anti-Communist Alliance (反共護台聯盟), have previously announced plans for motorcycle parades and public
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