A 72-member Legislative Yuan US Caucus has been launched to facilitate the stable development of friendly relations with the US, Legislative Deputy Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) were planning to establish separate US caucuses, but agreed to merge them into one after a week of negotiations, DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) told reporters.
The biggest secondary unit in the legislature is cochaired by Wang and KMT Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), who said that lawmakers across party lines expressed their willingness to contribute to Taiwan-US relations.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The integration allows Taiwan to be represented by a unified voice while interacting with the US Congress and the US government, which could help facilitate the exchanges, said Chiang, who is also honorary chair of the caucus.
As the US is one of Taiwan’s most important partners, maintaining a stable, firm and friendly relationship with Washington is not only crucial to Taipei’s security and economy, but also to other countries in the region and beyond, he added.
The inauguration overlapped with a visit by heavyweight US lawmakers, including Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi, chairman and ranking members respectively of the US House of Representatives Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the US and the Chinese Communist Party.
Guests at the inauguration included Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), who said the caucus should contribute to better and closer relations between Taiwan and the US.
Vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), former chair of the previous Taiwan-US caucus when she served as a legislator, said that she was happy to see cross-party legislators coming together in the name of diplomacy.
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Acting Director Jeremy Cornforth said that the US Congress firmly supports Taiwan, as exemplified by frequent visits by US delegations, 45 years after the passage of the Taiwan Relation Act.
The caucus consisting of cross-party lawmakers demonstrates that Taiwan-US relations have received widespread support from political circles and the public, he said, adding that the US and the AIT are ready to work with the legislature.
Separately, the Taiwan-Australia and New Zealand Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association initiated by DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) was established yesterday, aiming to seek trilateral cooperation in green energy, agriculture and economy.
Chiu said that she was honored to chair the association for the third term, adding that she hoped association members would be able to travel to Australia and New Zealand to meet with their counterparts, which they were unable to do during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They would like to learn more about green energy and agricultural developments in the two countries, and seek further economic and trade cooperation, she said.
Australian Office in Taipei Representative Robert Fergusson said that Canberra could provide stable and reliable energy for Taiwanese companies to operate smoothly and that it supports Taiwan’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions through cooperation in wind energy and hydrogen energy.
New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office Director Mark Pearson said that he hoped the association could help the legislature gain a deeper understanding of his country and create more opportunities for cooperation and mutual benefit.
Separately, the Taiwan-Israel Congressional Association was established yesterday to promote people-to-people exchanges; cooperation in agriculture, technology and education; and bilateral visits, association chair DPP Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said.
Israeli Representative to Taiwan Maya Yaron thanked Taiwan for supporting Israel and said that a parliamentary delegation is to visit the nation in the next few weeks.
‘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
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
RSS