The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) expressed deep regret yesterday over Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing's (
In his talks with Rice Thursday, Li urged the US government to stop selling advanced arms, to halt official engagements and to stop helping Taiwan to participate in international organizations where statehood is required for membership.
However, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (
"The US will stick to the Taiwan Relations Act [TRA]," he said.
Li "strongly" urged the US to understand the sensitivity of the Taiwan issue and the "gravity" of the current situation.
Anna Kao (
By making the remarks, Li not only interfered in the development of US-Taiwan relations, he also attempted to undermine the 2001 agreement in which the US agreed to continue selling defensive weapons to Taiwan, Kao noted.
Kao said Li's remarks are not conducive to positive growth in the development of cross-Strait relations.
Saying that Taiwan has purchased arms only for self-defense -- rather than for military assault -- Kao said China's demand that the US stop selling weaponry to Taiwan reflects Beijing's mentality that it will not renounce using force against Taiwan to solve differences.
Kao said the MOFA believes that Washington will continue to observe its commitment to the TRA and the Six Assurances, under which the US has pledged to provide Taiwan with sufficient defense capabilities to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The MOFA also firmly believes that US support for Taiwan, including support for Taiwan's bid to participate in various international organizations, will not change because of Beijing's demands, Kao said.
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
NO CHANGE: The TRA makes clear that the US does not consider the status of Taiwan to have been determined by WWII-era documents, a former AIT deputy director said The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) comments that World War-II era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately conveyed the US’ stance, the US Department of State said. An AIT spokesperson on Saturday said that a Chinese official mischaracterized World War II-era documents as stating that Taiwan was ceded to the China. The remarks from the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan drew criticism from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, whose director said the comments put Taiwan in danger. The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that a US State Department spokesperson confirmed the AIT’s position. They added that the US would continue to
IMPORTANT BACKER: China seeks to expel US influence from the Indo-Pacific region and supplant Washington as the global leader, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said China is preparing for war to seize Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said in Washington on Friday, warning that Taiwan’s fall would trigger a regional “domino effect” endangering US security. In a speech titled “Maintaining the Peaceful and Stable Status Quo Across the Taiwan Strait is in Line with the Shared Interests of Taiwan and the United States,” Chiu said Taiwan’s strategic importance is “closely tied” to US interests. Geopolitically, Taiwan sits in a “core position” in the first island chain — an arc stretching from Japan, through Taiwan and the Philippines, to Borneo, which is shared by
RSS