A delegation of US representatives led by US Congressional Taiwan Caucus cochair Ami Bera arrived in Taiwan for a three-day visit today.
This visit demonstrates US Congress’ ongoing support for Taiwan and its commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today.
The delegation is made up entirely of Democratic Party representatives and also includes US representatives Gabe Amo, Wesley Bell, Julie Johnson, Sara McBridge and Johnny Olszewski.
Photo: I-Hwa Cheng, Bloomberg
Bera in particular has a long history of supporting Taiwan, having promoted Taiwan-friendly bills and Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, and opposed China’s “legal warfare,” the ministry said.
Other members of the delegation have also expressed public support for Taiwan, the ministry added.
The delegation has already met with President William Lai (賴清德) and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), and has scheduled a conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) to discuss issues such as Taiwan-US relations, regional security and supply chain resilience.
At their meeting, Lai told the delegates that the government is prioritizing a special budget to increase defense spending to 3 percent of GDP this year, adding that he hopes Taiwan-US military cooperation can expand to include joint research and development.
Lai thanked the delegates for their initiatives in support of Taiwan, bolstering Taiwan-US relations and continuing to focus on the stability of the Taiwan Strait.
Two-way investment and economic cooperation between Taiwan and the US can only get stronger, Lai said.
Hopefully, the bill to eliminate double taxation between Taiwan and the US would be passed into law this year, he added.
Lai also specially thanked Bera for writing joint letter on the taxation issue, which was signed by hundreds of members of congress.
Democracies should seek to protect freedom and peace in Asia, Bera said, adding that their visit comes at a critical time for Taiwan-US relations and the international community.
Bera said that he and Lai are both doctors and share the vision that everyone should be allowed to enjoy peace and prosperity.
The military has spotted two Chinese warships operating in waters near Penghu County in the Taiwan Strait and sent its own naval and air forces to monitor the vessels, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said. Beijing sends warships and warplanes into the waters and skies around Taiwan on an almost daily basis, drawing condemnation from Taipei. While the ministry offers daily updates on the locations of Chinese military aircraft, it only rarely gives details of where Chinese warships are operating, generally only when it detects aircraft carriers, as happened last week. A Chinese destroyer and a frigate entered waters to the southwest
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment last year on Tokyo’s potential reaction to a Taiwan-China conflict has forced Beijing to rewrite its invasion plans, a retired Japanese general said. Takaichi told the Diet on Nov. 7 last year that a Chinese naval blockade or military attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially allowing Tokyo to exercise its right to collective self-defense. Former Japan Ground Self-Defense Force general Kiyofumi Ogawa said in a recent speech that the remark has been interpreted as meaning Japan could intervene in the early stages of a Taiwan Strait conflict, undermining China’s previous assumptions
Taiwan Railways Corp (TRC) today announced that Shin Kong Mitsukoshi has been selected as the preferred bidder to operate the Taipei Railway Station shopping mall, replacing the current operator, Breeze Development Co Ltd. Among eight qualified firms that delivered presentations and were evaluated by a review committee, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi was ranked first, while Breeze was named the runner-up, the rail company said in a statement. Contract negotiations are to proceed in accordance with regulations, it said, adding that if negotiations with the top bidder fail, it could invite the second-ranked applicant to enter talks. Breeze in a statement today expressed doubts over
RSS