A Democrat-controlled US House of Representatives following the US’ midterm elections would not affect the Taiwan-friendly sentiment of the US Congress, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kelly Hsieh (謝武樵) said yesterday.
The US Democratic Party took control of the House in the midterm elections last week, dealing a blow to US President Donald Trump, as the Democratic majority in the lower chamber, the first in eight years, would be in a position to restrict his ability to steer policies through Congress, foreign media reports said.
Meanwhile, the US Republican Party consolidated its grip on the US Senate, ensuring that Trump can still make key appointments, the reports said.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Asked whether a Democratic majority in the House could affect warming Taiwan-US ties, Hsieh said during a question-and-answer session at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee that he does not share such concerns.
Democrats and Republicans in Congress have shown strong support for Taiwan and the midterm results would not affect the US’ overall positive attitude toward Taiwan, Hsieh said.
US House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who is poised to become speaker again, has long been considered a hardliner toward Beijing, Hsieh added.
The Democrats are talking about more checks and balances on Trump’s policies, but such attempts are more likely to focus on domestic policy, including his tougher stance on immigration, rather than on policy toward Taiwan, Hsieh said.
Asked how the intensifying US-China trade dispute could affect Taiwanese companies based in China, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said the ministry does not expect the trade spat to end any time soon.
That is why an increasing number of Taiwanese companies that use China as a manufacturing base are considering returning to Taiwan, Wang added.
The government is doing its best to provide better incentives, including ensuring easier access to labor and land, and stable supplies of electricity and water, to companies thinking of returning to Taiwan, she added.
Hsieh and Wang made the comments following briefings in the Legislative Yuan that respectively detailed the government’s evaluation of the impact of the US midterm elections and the effect of the US-China trade dispute on Taiwan.
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
RSS