US Senator Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee and one of the strongest advocates for Taiwan in the US Congress, arrived in Taiwan today for a visit that includes a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) later today.
“We are delighted to be here as part of an American delegation to reinforce and emphasize the great partnership that the United States and Taiwan have,” Wicker told reporters shortly after landing at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport).
“We stand here to re-emphasize the partnership and the security friendship agreement that the United States has had with Taiwan for some decades,” he said.
Photo: CNA
Wicker was accompanied by US Senator Deb Fischer, who also serves on the committee.
The US Senate next week is due to consider the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a nearly US$1 trillion bill that sets policy for the Pentagon.
Wicker said that this year’s NDAA would “add to the provisions again” when it came to Taiwan, though he gave no details.
The visit comes shortly after Taiwan’s Cabinet proposed a defense budget for next year that would exceed 3 percent of GDP, pending legislative approval.
Lai has also pledged to raise the figure to 5 percent by 2030.
Fischer said the delegation would discuss “security, opportunities and progress” in the Indo-Pacific region with Taiwanese authorities.
“At a time of global unrest, it is extremely significant for us to be here and to continue to meet with Taiwan government officials,” she said.
According to Fischer, she and Wicker are in Taiwan as part of a broader trip that also included stops in Hawaii, Guam, Palau and the Philippines.
The Chinese embassy last month urged Wicker and other lawmakers to cancel plans to go to Taiwan.
Some members of Congress have recently expressed concern that US President Donald Trump is de-emphasizing security issues as he works on negotiating a trade deal with China.
Administration officials have said that Trump remains fully committed to Asia-Pacific security matters as he pursues his trade agenda and a good personal relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
It remains unclear how long the delegation would stay in Taiwan.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
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
RSS