The US Congress has over the past year introduced 51 resolutions friendly to Taiwan, far more than those of the previous two years, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday.
During a ministry news briefing in Taipei, Department of North American Affairs Director-General Douglas Hsu (徐佑典) discussed the milestones in bilateral relations since US President Joe Biden took office in January.
Many US officials have reiterated their “rock-solid” support for Taiwan, with actions such as easing outdated restrictions on US officials interacting with their Taiwanese counterparts and donating 4 million COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan, he said.
Photo: Tyrone Siu, Reuters
The US invited Taiwan to the US-led Summit for Democracy, held yesterday and today, while Taipei is to respond to Washington’s call to donate US$1 million over three years to the International Fund for Public Interest Media, he added.
Taiwan’s donation, starting next year, shows its support for countering disinformation and boosting the resilience of global democratic systems, Hsu said.
Washington has also gradually normalized weapons sales to Taiwan and engaged more allies to underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, he said.
Taiwan-US ties in economy and trade are robust, as the two sides on June 30 resumed talks under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement after a hiatus of five years and on Nov. 23 convened the second Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue, while other dialogue platforms have also been formed, he said.
The US Congress also continues to demonstrate its strong support for Taiwan, Hsu said.
Since the start of the 117th session on Jan. 3, the US Senate and House of Representatives have introduced 51 resolutions friendly or related to Taiwan, exceeding the 32 introduced in the previous two years, he said.
This year’s resolutions not only address security and economic issues, but promote Taiwan-US partnerships across various areas, he added.
In June and last month, US senators Tammy Duckworth and John Cornyn, as well as US Representative Mark Takano led separate delegations to Taiwan, who arrived by military aircraft, demonstrating their support for bilateral ties, Hsu said.
Taipei and Washington are also enhancing cooperation in maritime affairs, after they in March signed a memorandum of understanding on a coast guard working group, he said.
After signing an education initiative last year, the two sides also deepened cooperation in education, with 60 students visiting Taiwan to learn Mandarin, he said.
“Overall, Taiwan-US relations have entered a new stage this year,” Hsu said, adding that he expects more exchanges next year.
Asked about the renaming of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US, Hsu said that although the ministry maintains close communication with the US, it could not yet share details on the change.
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