Taiwan-US relations are “incredibly important” in diplomatic, military and economic areas, as well as regarding efforts by the two sides to defend human rights and freedom, US Senator Ted Cruz said in Taipei yesterday.
One of the most outspoken supporters of Taiwan, Cruz is the first US senator to attend Double Ten National Day celebrations in 35 years, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said as he welcomed Cruz at a news conference at the Shangri-La Hotel.
This is a time when the world’s attention is focused on Hong Kong, where people demonstrate their courage as they stand up for democracy and freedom, said Cruz, a member of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
People in Taiwan and Hong Kong are important, as “the Chinese government is terrified by the idea of freedom,” he said, adding that Beijing also hopes the world will forget the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989.
Since 2016, a number of nations severed ties with Taiwan, including Kiribati, the Solomon Islands and El Salvador, which was caused by China’s economic coercion or “blackmail” in some cases, he said.
Members of the committee last month unanimously passed a draft Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act, which discourages countries from ending diplomatic relations with Taiwan and underscores that the US is standing with Taiwanese, he said.
“We also will stand up against Chinese efforts to undermine Taiwan,” Cruz said. “This is a friendship that is incredibly important. This is a military relationship that is incredibly important. This is an economic relationship that is incredibly important.”
He also expressed support for Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who earlier this week said on Twitter: “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.”
“I don’t think the NBA and American companies should participate in Chinese censorship.” he said. “We have an obligation to speak the truth ... and it is an obligation that Taiwan takes very seriously.”
Asked whether he supports President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) re-election next year, Cruz said it is a question for Taiwanese to decide through the nation’s democratic procedures.
His visit is part of a broader tour of friends and allies in the Indo-Pacific region, Cruz said, adding that he on Tuesday met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss diplomatic, military and trade issues.
Cruz and three of his aides arrived in Taiwan yesterday and met with high-ranking officials in Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
ANOTHER OPTION: The 13-year-old, whose residency status was revoked for holding a Chinese passport, could still apply for residency on humanitarian grounds, the government said The Executive Yuan has rejected an appeal from a 13-year-old Chinese student surnamed Lu (陸), whose permanent residency was revoked after immigration officers discovered he held a Chinese passport. Lu in December 2023 applied to settle in Taiwan to be with his mother, surnamed Lin (林), who is a Taiwan resident, an appeal decision released this month by the Executive Yuan showed. Lin settled in Taiwan after marrying a Taiwanese man in 2003, but the two divorced in 2011, and after marrying a Chinese man, she had Lu, the Executive Yuan’s appeals committee said. Lu’s application was approved in December 2024, and in
RSS