US support for Taiwan remains a “priority” for Washington, with the bilateral partnership “unaffected” by the Israel-Hamas conflict, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairwoman Laura Rosenberger told a news conference in Taipei yesterday.
“In Washington, the focus on our support for Taiwan is something that is a priority” for US President Joe Biden’s administration, Rosenberger said, adding that the US government continued to work to expand its partnership with Taipei.
The partnership and the US’ commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are “enduring” and “unaffected” by events elsewhere in the world, she said, alluding to conflict between Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas and Israel that began on Oct. 7.
Photo: CNA
“The United States will remain committed to supporting Taiwan,” she said, mentioning in particular Washington’s commitments to provide defensive articles and services to Taipei in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act.
Biden today is expected to announce a joint US$100 billion package for Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel.
The US government is concerned about Beijing’s “pressure and coercion campaign” aimed at Taiwan, and has raised such concern with Beijing directly in their conversations, Rosenberger said.
Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is not only central to the security and prosperity of Taiwan, but to that of the entire world as well, she added.
Speaking of her meetings with presidential nominees from Taiwan’s three largest political parties over the past few days, Rosenberger rejected the idea that Washington was conducting job “interviews” with the contenders.
Rosenberger arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a five-day visit and she has since met with Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential nominee, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) nominee, and Taiwan People’s Party nominee and Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
She said that the meetings were intended for the US to “have an understanding of the candidates’ visions for Taiwan” and for the nominees to “understand the United States’ priorities and interests.”
She declined to reveal what had been discussed at the meetings.
She reiterated that Washington would not take sides in Taiwan’s presidential election in January and that US policy toward Taiwan would be the same regardless of the outcome.
“We look forward to working with whomever Taiwan voters choose as their next leader,” Rosenberger said.
She added that while Washington was confident about Taiwan’s vibrant democracy, and free and fair election processes, it had conveyed to Beijing its opposition to outside interference or influence in the election.
Asked why she did not meet with Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) founder Terry Gou (郭台銘), an independent presidential contender, Rosenberger said that “the AIT directly engages with candidates who are officially eligible, as determined by the Central Election Commission.”
Rosenberger’s visit, accompanied by Michael Pignatello, a senior consultant with the US Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, marked her third trip to Taiwan since assuming the post in March.
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: Without its Taiwanese partners which are ‘working around the clock,’ Nvidia could not meet AI demand, CEO Jensen Huang said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp have partnered with each other on silicon photonics development, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. Speaking with reporters after he met with TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) in Taipei on Friday, Huang said his company was working with the world’s largest contract chipmaker on silicon photonics, but admitted it was unlikely for the cooperation to yield results any time soon, and both sides would need several years to achieve concrete outcomes. To have a stake in the silicon photonics supply chain, TSMC and
IDENTITY: Compared with other platforms, TikTok’s algorithm pushes a ‘disproportionately high ratio’ of pro-China content, a study has found Young Taiwanese are increasingly consuming Chinese content on TikTok, which is changing their views on identity and making them less resistant toward China, researchers and politicians were cited as saying by foreign media. Asked to suggest the best survival strategy for a small country facing a powerful neighbor, students at National Chia-Yi Girls’ Senior High School said “Taiwan must do everything to avoid provoking China into attacking it,” the Financial Times wrote on Friday. Young Taiwanese between the ages of 20 and 24 in the past were the group who most strongly espoused a Taiwanese identity, but that is no longer
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake and several aftershocks battered southern Taiwan early this morning, causing houses and roads to collapse and leaving dozens injured and 50 people isolated in their village. A total of 26 people were reported injured and sent to hospitals due to the earthquake as of late this morning, according to the latest Ministry of Health and Welfare figures. In Sising Village (西興) of Chiayi County's Dapu Township (大埔), the location of the quake's epicenter, severe damage was seen and roads entering the village were blocked, isolating about 50 villagers. Another eight people who were originally trapped inside buildings in Tainan
‘ARMED GROUP’: Two defendants used Chinese funds to form the ‘Republic of China Taiwan Military Government,’ posing a threat to national security, prosecutors said A retired lieutenant general has been charged after using funds from China to recruit military personnel for an “armed” group that would assist invading Chinese forces, prosecutors said yesterday. The retired officer, Kao An-kuo (高安國), was among six people indicted for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法), the High Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement. The group visited China multiple times, separately and together, from 2018 to last year, where they met Chinese military intelligence personnel for instructions and funding “to initiate and develop organizations for China,” prosecutors said. Their actions posed a “serious threat” to “national security and social stability,” the statement
RSS