A group of lawmakers is to visit the US on a six-day trip, starting today, to meet with US government officials and members of Congress, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said yesterday.
During the visit, the group plans to call on House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, members of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus and other government officials, their itinerary showed.
After arriving in Washington, the delegation is tomorrow to meet with Royce; Senator Cory Gardner, chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy; and Congressman Ted Yoho, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
On Wednesday, the delegation is to meet with Gregg Harper, who co-chairs the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, and other caucus members, as well as visit Taiwan’s representative office in the US.
They are also that night to attend a dinner banquet hosted by Taiwan’s Representative to the US Stanley Kao (高碩泰).
Liu said the trip is aimed at giving the US more information about Taiwan’s situation, and cross-strait issues are expected to be discussed during the trip.
The two sides are also to discuss the Taiwan Travel Act, which encourages the exchange of visits by senior government officials of Taiwan and the US, and the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2019, which includes provisions to help improve Taiwan’s military capabilities, Liu said.
The delegation also includes DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), chairwoman of the Taiwan-US Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association, which is organizing the trip, and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), who is vice chairman of the association.
Others in the group are KMT legislators Lu Yu-ling (呂玉玲), Lin Li-chan (林麗蟬) and Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), and DPP lawmakers Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲), Yu Wan-ju (余宛如) and Liu.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as