Taiwan’s fall to China “would be a disaster for American interests” and the Taiwanese government must raise defense spending to deter Beijing, US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon policy, Elbridge Colby, said yesterday during his Senate confirmation hearing.
The nominee for undersecretary of defense for policy told the Armed Services Committee that Washington needs to motivate Taiwan to avoid a conflict with China and that he is “profoundly disturbed” about its perceived reluctance to raise defense spending closer to 10 percent of GDP.
Colby, a China hawk who also served in the Pentagon in Trump’s first team, wrote in response to committee questions that “the military balance has deteriorated dramatically from Taiwan’s perspective,” so it “should be dramatically increasing its defense capabilities focused on denying an invasion and riding out a blockade.”
Photo: Bloomberg
“Taiwan, however, is not doing nearly enough of this,” he wrote.
Colby stated that Taiwan had an “alarming lack of urgency” in strengthening its defense capabilities in an op-ed for the Taipei Times last year.
Trump, who has accused Taiwan of “stealing” the US semiconductor industry and questioned US commitment to its security, suggested last year that the Taiwanese government spend about 10 percent of GDP on its armed forces.
President William Lai (賴清德) last month pledged to boost military spending to 3 percent of GDP, from 2.45 percent for this year, aimed at showing Trump its commitment to defending itself.
However, yesterday’s meeting raised concerns over the Legislative Yuan’s cuts and freezes to the defense budget this year, led by the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which US Senator Dan Sullivan described as “playing a dangerous game.”
Colby said the budget cuts had already become a point of discussion for both Democrats and Republicans.
US Senator Angus King also questioned Colby on his faith in Taiwan’s commitment to its own defense amid the cuts, stating concerns of sending US troops to defend a nation that does not seem “too concerned about its own defense capabilities.”
Colby said he would continue bilateral communication and policy advisories, urging Taiwan to step up its military strength to match that of South Korea, which he believes is not only feasible, but fair to the US people and troops who have invested heavily in its defense.
Colby yesterday reiterated his views that the US' goal should be “denying China regional hegemony,” and that US military power must be focused overwhelmingly on countering China.
If confirmed, Colby said he would provide the president and the secretary “with the best military options to back up the policy of deterring and, if necessary, denying an attack on Taiwan at a reasonable level of cost and risk for the American people.”
Senators questioned Colby about some of his previous social media posts, including his assessment that Taiwan is “not existential for America,” which he reiterated.
Meanwhile, cross-strait relations were also raised in a separate confirmation hearing held yesterday for US deputy secretary of state nominee Christopher Landau.
US policy regarding Taiwan has long been informed by the Taiwan Relations Act, Landau said, adding that it is US policy to protect the economic and security interests of Taiwan to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
He also raised the Three Joint Communiques, a set of bilateral agreements with China that acknowledges there is only “one China,” and the “six assurances,” commitments made to Taiwan thereafter that the US would not act as a cross-strait mediator or allow Beijing to dictate US arms sales to Taiwan.
Landau reiterated that the US strongly opposes any changes to the “status quo” and any attempts to resolve disputes through force.
The Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees are expected to vote soon on Landau and Colby’s nominations.
If approved, the nominations would be sent to the full Senate for debate and a final vote, which would require a simple majority in order for Colby and Landau to be confirmed.
Additional reporting by CNA
ENTERTAINERS IN CHINA: Taiwanese generally back the government being firm on infiltration and ‘united front’ work,’ the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association said Most people support the government probing Taiwanese entertainers for allegedly “amplifying” the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda, a survey conducted by the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association showed on Friday. Public support stood at 56.4 percent for action by the Mainland Affairs Council and the Ministry of Culture to enhance scrutiny on Taiwanese performers and artists who have developed careers in China while allegedly adhering to the narrative of Beijing’s propaganda that denigrates or harms Taiwanese sovereignty, the poll showed. Thirty-three percent did not support the action, it showed. The poll showed that 51.5 percent of respondents supported the government’s investigation into Taiwanese who have
South Korean K-pop girl group Blackpink are to make Kaohsiung the first stop on their Asia tour when they perform at Kaohsiung National Stadium on Oct. 18 and 19, the event organizer said yesterday. The upcoming performances will also make Blackpink the first girl group ever to perform twice at the stadium. It will be the group’s third visit to Taiwan to stage a concert. The last time Blackpink held a concert in the city was in March 2023. Their first concert in Taiwan was on March 3, 2019, at NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena). The group’s 2022-2023 “Born Pink” tour set a
A Philippine official has denied allegations of mistreatment of crew members during Philippine authorities’ boarding of a Taiwanese fishing vessel on Monday. Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) spokesman Nazario Briguera on Friday said that BFAR law enforcement officers “observed the proper boarding protocols” when they boarded the Taiwanese vessel Sheng Yu Feng (昇漁豐號) and towed it to Basco Port in the Philippines. Briguera’s comments came a day after the Taiwanese captain of the Sheng Yu Feng, Chen Tsung-tun (陳宗頓), held a news conference in Pingtung County and accused the Philippine authorities of mistreatment during the boarding of
88.2 PERCENT INCREASE: The variants driving the current outbreak are not causing more severe symptoms, but are ‘more contagious’ than previous variants, an expert said Number of COVID-19 cases in the nation is surging, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describing the ongoing wave of infections as “rapid and intense,” and projecting that the outbreak would continue through the end of July. A total of 19,097 outpatient and emergency visits related to COVID-19 were reported from May 11 to Saturday last week, an 88.2 percent increase from the previous week’s 10,149 visits, CDC data showed. The nearly 90 percent surge in case numbers also marks the sixth consecutive weekly increase, although the total remains below the 23,778 recorded during the same period last year,
RSS