The US is a reliable partner of Taiwan and committed to providing resolute support to the nation, visiting US lawmakers said yesterday, adding that China’s recent military drills sent a strong signal for the US to accelerate the delivery of weapons to Taiwan.
US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul is leading a cross-party congressional delegation to Taiwan that arrived on Sunday.
On behalf of US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, the visit is to congratulate President William Lai (賴清德) on taking office and “celebrate a victory for democracy,” US Representative and cochair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus Andy Barr told a news conference yesterday.
Photo: Shu Fu, EPA-EFE
The US is “fully and completely committed to deterrence by supporting Taiwan militarily, diplomatically and economically,” he said, adding that its resolve to maintain the “status quo” and peace in the Taiwan Strait should not be doubted.
“The resoluteness which the United States Congress has behind Taiwan is extremely strong,” McCaul said.
Taiwan’s importance lies in its people, democracy, freedom, prosperity, science and technology, and innovation, he said.
Photo: Ben Blanchard, Reuters
“And it’s because the people of Taiwan are just like the people of the United States,” he added.
McCaul highlighted repeatedly that “deterrence is key,” pledging to “get the weapons you purchase to you as soon as possible.”
Asked about the delays in the delivery of weapons by Washington, McCaul said: “We are moving forward on those weapons systems.”
It is crucial to let Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) understand that “the risk outweighs the reward” when considering taking military action against Taiwan, he said.
McCaul said he hoped the deterrence provided by the US and the support the delegation has shown through its presence in Taiwan would help prevent military conflicts in the region and make Xi realize that “it’s simply not worth it.”
Bejing’s military exercises around Taiwan last week sent “a very strong message” to the US, which the delegation would convey to the US Congress and US President Joe Biden, he said.
As the US is holding its presidential election in November, McCaul assured Taiwan that “regardless of ... which candidate wins the presidential [election], I do not see that support [for Taiwan] wavering whatsoever.”
“We are stronger when we stand together,” he told Lai when the delegation met with the president earlier yesterday.
“America is and always will be a reliable partner and no amount of coercion or intimidation will slow down or stop the routine visits by the [US] Congress to Taiwan,” he said.
Congratulating Lai on winning the election and taking office, McCaul said that he looked forward to working with the new administration.
“I think Taiwan has the right man at the right time in the right place,” he said.
Lai thanked the delegation for showing its firm support for Taiwan through the visit and vowed to continue to deepen cooperation with the US and other like-minded countries to safeguard regional peace, stability and prosperity.
While Taiwan is bolstering its national defense capabilities, Lai said he hoped the US Congress would continue to assist Taiwan in the effort through legislative actions.
“I’m confident that Taiwan-US relations will steadily deepen, leading to ever more fruitful exchanges,” Lai said.
The other members of the visiting delegation are Republicans Young Kim and Joe Wilson, and Democrats Jimmy Panetta and Chrissy Houlahan.
Super Typhoon Kong-rey is the largest cyclone to impact Taiwan in 27 years, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Kong-rey’s radius of maximum wind (RMW) — the distance between the center of a cyclone and its band of strongest winds — has expanded to 320km, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said. The last time a typhoon of comparable strength with an RMW larger than 300km made landfall in Taiwan was Typhoon Herb in 1996, he said. Herb made landfall between Keelung and Suao (蘇澳) in Yilan County with an RMW of 350km, Chang said. The weather station in Alishan (阿里山) recorded 1.09m of
STORM’S PATH: Kong-Rey could be the first typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in November since Gilda in 1967. Taitung-Green Island ferry services have been halted Tropical Storm Kong-rey is forecast to strengthen into a typhoon early today and could make landfall in Taitung County between late Thursday and early Friday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, Kong-Rey was 1,030km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the nation’s southernmost point, and was moving west at 7kph. The tropical storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126 kph, CWA data showed. After landing in Taitung, the eye of the storm is forecast to move into the Taiwan Strait through central Taiwan on Friday morning, the agency said. With the storm moving
NO WORK, CLASS: President William Lai urged people in the eastern, southern and northern parts of the country to be on alert, with Typhoon Kong-rey approaching Typhoon Kong-rey is expected to make landfall on Taiwan’s east coast today, with work and classes canceled nationwide. Packing gusts of nearly 300kph, the storm yesterday intensified into a typhoon and was expected to gain even more strength before hitting Taitung County, the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. The storm is forecast to cross Taiwan’s south, enter the Taiwan Strait and head toward China, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The CWA labeled the storm a “strong typhoon,” the most powerful on its scale. Up to 1.2m of rainfall was expected in mountainous areas of eastern Taiwan and destructive winds are likely
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday at 5:30pm issued a sea warning for Typhoon Kong-rey as the storm drew closer to the east coast. As of 8pm yesterday, the storm was 670km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and traveling northwest at 12kph to 16kph. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 162kph and gusts of up to 198kph, the CWA said. A land warning might be issued this morning for the storm, which is expected to have the strongest impact on Taiwan from tonight to early Friday morning, the agency said. Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島) canceled classes and work
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