A delegation of US lawmakers led by US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a three-day visit that includes meeting President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) tomorrow.
“Being here sends a signal to the Chinese Communist Party that the United States supports Taiwan,” McCaul told reporters at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), adding that the US is to harden Taiwan so China would “think twice about invading Taiwan.”
Asked whether the visit could trigger a hostile reaction from China, which has condemned Tsai’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday, McCaul said: “We are not going to let this intimidation get to us.”
Photo courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The delegation is to conduct important meetings during their visit, discussing arms delivery from the US and whether Taiwan is prepared to deter China, he said.
The US can arm Taiwan and give Taiwan assurances of self-defense according to the Taiwan Relations Act, but whether the US would come to Taiwan’s aid militarily in case of a Chinese invasion, “ultimately it’s going to be made by the American people,” he said.
Presidential Office spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said that the US Congress has been playing an important role in boosting Taiwan-US relations.
The committee supports Taiwan by proposing various legislation affirming US commitment to Taiwan, she said.
The visit can deepen Taiwan’s ties with the US, she said, adding that as a force for good in maintaining regional peace, Taiwan will continue to safeguard democracy and freedom.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yui (俞大?) welcomed the delegation, which also includes US representatives Young Kim, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, Ami Bera, French Hill, Guy Reschenthaler, Madeleine Dean, Michael Lawler and Nathaniel Moran.
They are to meet with Tsai, Vice President William Lai (賴清德) and other government officials to discuss issues concerning Taiwan-US relations, as well as to attend a banquet held by Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫?) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), the ministry said in a statement.
ANOTHER EMERGES: The CWA yesterday said this year’s fourth storm of the typhoon season had formed in the South China Sea, but was not expected to affect Taiwan Tropical Storm Gaemi has intensified slightly as it heads toward Taiwan, where it is expected to affect the country in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 8am yesterday, the 120km-radius storm was 800km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving at 9kph northwest, the agency said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued tonight at the earliest, it said, adding that the storm is projected to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday. Gaemi’s potential effect on Taiwan remains unclear, as that would depend on its direction, radius and intensity, forecasters said. Former Weather Forecast
As COVID-19 cases in Japan have been increasing for 10 consecutive weeks, people should get vaccinated before visiting the nation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. The centers reported 773 hospitalizations and 124 deaths related to COVID-19 in Taiwan last week. CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) on Tuesday said the number of weekly COVID-19 cases reported in Japan has been increasing since mid-May and surpassed 55,000 cases from July 8 to July 14. The average number of COVID-19 patients at Japan’s healthcare facilities that week was also 1.39 times that of the week before and KP.3 is the dominant
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) working group for Taiwan-related policies is likely to be upgraded to a committee-level body, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said. As Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is increasingly likely to upgrade the CCP’s Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs, Taiwanese authorities should prepare by researching Xi and the CCP, the report said. At the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP, which ended on Thursday last week, the party set a target of 2029 for the completion of some tasks, meaning that Xi is likely preparing to
US-CHINA TRADE DISPUTE: Despite Beijing’s offer of preferential treatment, the lure of China has dimmed as Taiwanese and international investors move out Japan and the US have become the favored destinations for Taiwanese graduates as China’s attraction has waned over the years, the Ministry of Labor said. According to the ministry’s latest income and employment advisory published this month, 3,215 Taiwanese university graduates from the class of 2020 went to Japan, surpassing for the first time the 2,881 graduates who went to China. A total of 2,300 graduates from the class of 2021 went to the US, compared with the 2,262 who went to China, the document showed. The trend continued for the class of 2023, of whom 1,460 went to Japan, 1,334 went to