The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked US President Joe Biden’s administration after it issued interim guidance on strategic priorities, including reaffirming support for Taiwan.
The 23-page Interim National Security Strategic Guidance report, published by the White House on Wednesday, said that the US would “support Taiwan, a leading democracy and a critical economic and security partner, in line with longstanding American commitments.”
Since his inauguration in January, Biden’s administration has expressed robust support for Taiwan and said that the US’ security commitment to the nation was “rock solid,” ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said.
Photo: Screen grab from Joseph Young’s Twitter account
Taiwan and the US share the same ideals and goals in defending freedom and democratic values, she said.
The ministry will continue to work closely with the Biden administration to strengthen the Taiwan-US partnership on the basis of the nations’ longstanding friendship, Ou said.
The document said that the most effective way for the US to outcompete China is to invest in its people, economy and democracy.
“By bolstering and defending our unparalleled network of allies and partners, and by making smart defense investments, we will also deter Chinese aggression and counter threats to our collective security, prosperity and democratic way of life,” the report said.
“When the Chinese government’s behavior directly threatens our interests and values, we will answer Beijing’s challenge,” it said, adding that the US would confront unfair and illegal trade practices, cybertheft and coercive economic practices that hurt American workers.
The guidance also pointed to climate change, global health, arms control and nonproliferation as areas to seek China’s cooperation.
Also on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave his first major address in office.
Blinken promised that the Biden administration would prioritize diplomacy over military action, and build cooperation with the world on global challenges such as climate change and COVID-19.
He vowed to champion the rights of Hong Kong and Uighurs, saying that if not, “China will act with even greater impunity.”
“China is the only country with the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to seriously challenge the stable and open international system — all the rules, values and relationships that make the world work the way we want it to,” he said.
“Our relationship with China will be competitive when it should be, collaborative when it can be and adversarial when it must be, and we will engage China from a position of strength,” he added.
In related news, Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) was this week invited to the official residence of the US ambassador to Japan to discuss regional issues.
Hsieh is the first Taiwanese representative to Japan to be invited to the US ambassador’s residence since formal ties were severed in 1979.
“I welcomed Frank Hsieh to the Ambassador’s Residence to discuss our shared priorities across a wide range of topics, including our vision for regional stability, economic prosperity, and stronger people-to-people ties,” Joseph Young, charge d’affaires ad interim at the US embassy, wrote on Twitter.
Hsieh and Young were shown together in images posted on Twitter, one of which shows Hsieh’s signed remarks on the latter’s guestbook, dated Tuesday.
Hsieh wrote on Facebook that he and Young exchanged views on issues including the facilitation of peace and prosperity in the region.
“Taiwan hopes to continue the deepening of its friendship and partnership with nations that share its values,” he wrote.
Additional reporting by AFP
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
‘FORM OF PROTEST’: The German Institute Taipei said it was ‘shocked’ to see Nazi symbolism used in connection with political aims as it condemned the incident Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 yesterday amid an outcry over a Nazi armband he wore to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case on Tuesday night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and apparently covering the book with a coat. This is a serious international scandal and Chinese
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE TRAINING: The ministry said 87.5 percent of the apprehended Chinese agents were reported by service members they tried to lure into becoming spies Taiwanese organized crime, illegal money lenders, temples and civic groups are complicit in Beijing’s infiltration of the armed forces, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a report yesterday. Retired service members who had been turned to Beijing’s cause mainly relied on those channels to infiltrate the Taiwanese military, according to the report to be submitted to lawmakers ahead of tomorrow’s hearing on Chinese espionage in the military. Chinese intelligence typically used blackmail, Internet-based communications, bribery or debts to loan sharks to leverage active service personnel to do its bidding, it said. China’s main goals are to collect intelligence, and develop a
RSS