A visiting delegation in Taipei yesterday said that support for Taiwan is a consensus across party lines in the US, and that the Taiwan Strait is vital for regional and international peace.
The delegation, led by US Representative Debbi Lesko, included US representatives Andy Biggs and Carol Miller, and made the remarks in a meeting with National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) at the Presidential Office.
Wu thanked the US lawmakers for their visit and said that he hoped Washington would continue to advocate for Taiwan.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
Exchanges between Taiwan and the US would continue under the US’ Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, which demonstrates bipartisan support for the country, Wu said.
The US executive branch has reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait through its joint statements with fellow G7 countries and bilateral statements with friendly countries, Wu added.
US support not only enhances international awareness of Taiwan’s strategic importance, but also increases the nation’s regional role, he said.
Criticizing China’s use of “gray zone” tactics, such as cognitive and legal warfare to harass Taiwan, including its misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758, Wu said that it does not contribute to cross-strait peace and limits Taipei’s engagement with the international community.
There are still many important fields of cooperation between Taiwan and the US, such as the double-taxation agreement, building resilient democracies and deepening economic ties, Wu said.
Taiwan is a key US partner in the region, and it remains committed to peace and stability, and looks forward to continued US support, he added.
The US lawmakers said they were honored to visit Taiwan, having long paid attention to the geopolitical situation in the region and China’s repeated incursions into Taiwan’s territory.
China’s illegal intrusions are no longer limited to the Taiwan Strait, as Beijing’s actions in the East and South China seas have also received global criticism for not abiding by international law, they said.
Washington should work with allies and like-minded countries to stop these actions, they said.
There is bipartisan consensus on the need to continue supporting Taiwan, they said, adding that upon their return to the US, they would continue to speak out in support of strengthening the nation’s defensive capabilities, and contributing to trade and economic relations.
The delegation, visiting Taiwan from Sunday until Friday, is also to attend the Double Ten National Day celebrations in Taipei.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
China is attempting to subsume Taiwanese culture under Chinese culture by promulgating legislation on preserving documents on ties between the Minnan region and Taiwan, a Taiwanese academic said yesterday. China on Tuesday enforced the Fujian Province Minnan and Taiwan Document Protection Act to counter Taiwanese cultural independence with historical evidence that would root out misleading claims, Chinese-language media outlet Straits Today reported yesterday. The act is “China’s first ad hoc local regulations in the cultural field that involve Taiwan and is a concrete step toward implementing the integrated development demonstration zone,” Fujian Provincial Archives deputy director Ma Jun-fan (馬俊凡) said. The documents