Ties with the US remained robust following last month's summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), Representative to the US Alexander Yui (俞大㵢) said yesterday, while stressing the importance of the timely delivery of US defense equipment.
Trump has held back approval of a new package of arms sales to Taipei worth US$14 billion, having approved an US$11 billion arms package in December last year.
Washington has made it clear that there has been no change in its position toward Taiwan, Yui told a symposium.
Photo: AP
"I can say quite confidently that US-Taiwan relations remain robust," he said.
The most effective way to maintain peace is through strength and to "ensure that aggression can never be regarded as an easy or an inexpensive option," Yui said.
"For deterrence to be credible, our own investment must also be matched by timely delivery, effective training and the ability to translate these investments into real deterrence capabilities," he said.
Trump said after meeting Xi in Beijing in May that the US$14 billion package was a "very good negotiating chip." China has repeatedly called for the arms sales to end, but US law requires Washington to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
The recent arrival in Taiwan of the first two new F-16V Block 70 fighter jets was a welcome example of steady progress with the US to enhance Taiwan's self-defense, Yui said.
"As we move forward, US-Taiwan cooperation will remain central to these efforts," he added.
Reuters this month reported that US officials believe a Chinese invasion of Taiwan before 2028 is increasingly unlikely, despite Xi's instructions for his military to be ready by next year to take the nation by force, if needed.
Yui, who spoke as Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) were visiting the US, said that Taiwan's preparedness was not built around any single date.
"There's been different opinions about maybe 2027, maybe 2028 or beyond," he said. "But our responsibility is the same: to make Taiwan stronger more resilient, and harder to be coerced by the adversary."
Addressing the same event by video link, Lin said that Taiwan and the US had become "truly symbiotic" partners, citing cooperation on semiconductors, artificial intelligence and supply-chain security.
He highlighted investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) in Arizona, where he inaugurated a new Taipei representative office this week, saying that it showed how economic ties created shared interests and long-term trust.
Taiwan is the world's leading manufacturer of cutting-edge computer chips and TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, has invested tens of billions of US dollars in facilities in Phoenix, Arizona. The projects have received significant US subsidies as Washington seeks to revive domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
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