The US would continue to help Taiwan bolster its ability to defend itself, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene said in a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday.
Greene assumed his new role as AIT director on Monday, serving as Washington’s top envoy to Taiwan.
“First of all, and the most important thing, the US will strongly support Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities,” Greene said.
Photo: Presidential Office via AP
“We both have common and long-term interests in peace and stability over the Taiwan Strait,” he added.
This support was in line with Washington’s long-standing policy guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques and the “six assurances,” he said.
Greene, who delivered his remarks in Mandarin, stressed the need to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, describing it as a common and long-term interest of Taipei and Washington, and as extremely important for global security and prosperity.
He also said he was “confident that with the support of the global democratic community, we can safeguard Taiwan’s democracy.”
Calling Taiwan “a key partner” in promoting trade and the global supply chain resilience, Greene said he was looking forward to working with the Lai administration to advance bilateral economic, cultural and technological cooperation.
In his remarks, Lai thanked the US for showing its commitment to supporting Taiwan’s efforts to improve its security, mentioning in particular the 15 announcements of arms sales to Taiwan under the administration of US President Joe Biden.
Lai reiterated his pledge to maintain the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, despite increasing challenges posed by China, and expressed the hope of working closely with the US and other like-minded countries in support of the prosperity and development of the Indo-Pacific region.
As a career diplomat, Greene has previously been posted to Taiwan twice, including serving as deputy AIT director from 2018 to 2021.
Before arriving in Taiwan to take charge of the AIT, which represents US interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties, Greene was deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Japan.
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
RSS