One of the main proponents of the US’ recently enacted Taiwan Travel Act yesterday vowed to continue efforts to strengthen Taiwan-US relations as he became the first US lawmaker to receive an honorary medal for diplomacy from the Legislative Yuan for his long-term dedication to promoting bilateral ties.
US Representative Ed Royce, chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, received the Congressional Diplomacy Honorary Medal from Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) at a ceremony at the legislature in Taipei yesterday morning.
Praising Royce as the “strongest facilitator and defender” of Taiwan-US relations, Su said the US lawmaker has pushed his congressional colleagues and the US executive branch to engage in bilateral exchanges and pass Taiwan-friendly legislation.
Photo: CNA
“[Such efforts] can be evidenced by the Taiwan Travel Act enacted recently, which has met with admiration from the people of Taiwan, as well as members of our legislature,” Su said.
Su said that thanks to genuine friends and foresighted statesmen such as Royce, the relationship between Taipei and Washington is expected to grow stronger, and continue to contribute to the maintenance of regional peace and stability.
In his acceptance speech, Royce said that 20 years ago he made his first visit to Taiwan, which was also the destination of his first trip abroad after becoming chairman of the committee six years ago.
“The reason [for the trip as new committee chairman] was in order to send a powerful message about the importance of the strong relationship between Taiwan and the US,” Royce said.
With that message in mind, Royce said he has over the years led many bipartisan delegations to Taiwan, helped pass initiatives important to the economic strength and security of the nation and worked to improve the US’ Taiwan Relations Act, which has served as the cornerstone of Taiwan-US ties since its passage in 1979.
Concrete results have also been yielded by efforts to facilitate travel by people of the two nations, Royce said, citing Taiwan’s inclusion into the US’ Visa Waiver and Global Entry programs in 2012 and late last year respectively.
The latest achievement in that area was the inauguration on Sunday of direct flights by China Airlines between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Ontario International Airport in California, which he said could further promote travel between the two sides, as Ontario airport is close to areas where 55 percent of Taiwanese-Americans in California live.
The flight route could also make Taiwan a transfer hub for people traveling between the US and ASEAN nations, he added.
Thanking the nation for the honor, Royce concluded his speech by pledging to continue his efforts to strengthen ties between Taiwan and the US.
Royce is one of the sponsors of the Taiwan Travel Act, which encourages high-level visits by Taiwanese and US officials.
The legislation was signed into law by US President Donald Trump on March 16 after receiving the unanimous support of the US House of Representatives on Jan. 9 and the US Senate on Feb. 28.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Royce is the first US lawmaker to receive the medal, which has been granted to individuals who help the legislature maintain relationships with lawmakers worldwide.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
RSS