The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) yesterday said it respects Taiwan’s political procedures and looks forward to seeing the Legislative Yuan hold sincere deliberation on how to support the nation in bolstering its self-defense capabilities.
An AIT spokesperson made the remark in response to media inquiries about Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang’s (黃國昌) comments in an interview with the United Daily News on Tuesday.
Huang criticized AIT Director Raymond Greene of being “too involved in Taiwan’s internal affairs,” saying that if the US and Taiwan are truly partners sharing the same values, then Washington should respect Taiwan’s democratic procedures, just as Taiwan respects those of the US.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The opposition has repeatedly blocked the Executive Yuan’s eight-year special defense budget.
The US Department of State has said multiple times that it welcomes the NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.59 billion) special defense budget, the AIT said yesterday.
Separately, Democratic US Senator Ruben Gallego yesterday wrote on social media: “Now is not the time to weaken Taiwan’s defenses. Cutting their defense budget undermines investments in essential weapons systems as China’s threats are intensifying. Taiwan’s parliament [legislature] should reconsider this move.”
Gallego’s remark came after US Senator Roger Wicker, a Republican who chairs the US Senate Armed Forces Committee, on Tuesday said: “I am disappointed to see Taiwan’s opposition parties in parliament slash President [William] Lai’s (賴清德) defense budget so dramatically.”
“The original proposal funded urgently needed weapons systems. Taiwan’s parliament should reconsider — especially with rising Chinese threats,” he added.
Taiwan National Security Institute deputy secretary-general Ho Cheng-hui (何澄輝) said the comments from Republican and Democratic US lawmakers show that, while the two parties have their differences, they agree on the US stance on China and on security across the Taiwan Strait.
The comments were a “severe warning” from the US to the Taiwanese opposition that Washington and its allies would not tolerate the opposition placing party interests above the nation’s security, Ho said.
US President Donald Trump has been adamant that US allies “share the responsibility” for their own defense, and if Taiwan cannot demonstrate its resolve to bolster self-defense by passing the budget, Washington might see it unnecessary to continue supporting the nation, he said.
The opposition’s claims that the defense budget is opaque have no basis, he said.
Washington is extremely familiar with Taiwanese politics, and the opposition should not take it for a fool, he added.
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