Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) yesterday said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) thanks the US Congress for supporting legislation that is to facilitate port calls between the US Navy and Taiwanese navy, but added that Taiwan would respect the US government’s decision on whether to put the provisions into practice.
Lee was responding to questions from lawmakers about the US’ National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal 2018, which US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law.
Several provisions in the NDAA call for strengthening the US’ defense partnership with Taiwan and local legislators asked whether the Presidential Office would support such strengthened cooperation.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said that Taiwan wishes to deepen military collaboration with the US, but added that is not at odds with hopes for a peaceful relationship with China.
The proposal to arrange port calls by the two nation’s navies in particular is still hypothetical at the moment, Wu said.
The US government’s stance on the issue is not known, but if the matter were to be discussed, Taiwan would balance the nation’s military considerations with the region’s peace and stability, he said.
Lee and Wu have both dismissed threats by Li Kexin (李克新), a minister at the Chinese embassy in the US who said that China would use violence if the US Navy were to make port calls in Taiwan, calling the comments unconducive to the development of cross-strait relations.
Li’s comments represented only one person’s views and differed from remarks by other Chinese government officials about the issue, Wu has said.
The ministry also issued a statement thanking the European Parliament for approving a motion that includes a statement of support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
The parliament on Wednesday passed its Annual Report on the implementation of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, which includes a clause related to Taiwan and security in the Asia-Pacific region, the ministry said.
Clause 31 of the motion notes the parliament’s interest in peace in the region, calls on all parties involved to resolve differences through peaceful means and finishes by reiterating “its commitment to supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and activities.”
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
RSS