Taiwan Has Been Paying for Its Defense: U.S. State Department
Taiwan has been paying for its own defense, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller emphasized on July 17, adding that Taiwan’s purchases of U.S. military equipment are important to the U.S. economy and for ensuring regional security.
Miller was asked at a news conference about recent comments by former U.S. president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in November’s U.S. presidential election, who said that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for its defense during an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek.
“Taiwan has been purchasing military equipment from the United States to the tune of billions of dollars,” Miller responded. He also noted that purchasing such equipment supports American manufacturing and technology.
“The purchases that they [Taiwan] have made not only are important, we believe, to regional security, but are important to the United States economy,” he added.
Citing the security cooperation that the U.S. has provided over the decades, Miller said Taiwan has purchased necessary military equipment and that “it has not been in any way charity from the United States.”
He also highlighted the importance of cross-Taiwan Strait peace and stability and how it is essential to the U.S., the American people, and the global economy.
The first-ever Foreign Military Financing (FMF) package and Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) transfers for Taiwan that would be partly funded by U.S. taxpayers reflected the U.S.’ longstanding commitment to Taiwan to ensure it has “the defense articles and services necessary for it to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability,” Miller said.
Separately, Taiwan’s representative office in Washington said that U.S. support for Taiwan has always been bipartisan.
Taiwan is willing and determined to take on more responsibility for its self-defense, the office said.
References:
[1] Focus Taiwan
[2] Taipei Times
Taiwan Is One of the Largest Buyers of U.S. Arms: Republican Lawmakers
Two Republican lawmakers on July 17 said Taiwan is one of the biggest buyers of U.S. defense equipment and reiterated U.S. support for Taiwan.
U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, made the comments via email after he was asked by the Central News Agency (CNA) about Donald Trump’s recent interview in which the former U.S. president said that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for its defense.
Trump “is right that U.S. allies should always play a significant role in their own defense,” McCaul said. “Taiwan is a perfect example of what we want all our allies to do. They have consistently been one of the biggest buyers of U.S. weapons for its defense.”
The lawmaker also criticized the Biden administration for being slow to work with the U.S. defense industry to deliver paid orders on time to allies, including those to Taiwan.
U.S. Representative Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, told CNA in a separate email that the U.S. Congress stands strongly with its democratic ally and partner Taiwan, emphasizing that Taiwan has been instrumental in maintaining peace within the Indo-Pacific region and countering the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
Díaz-Balart, who is also chairman of the House of Representatives State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, was one of the sponsors of a series of national security supplemental bills relating to Taiwan that were signed into law earlier this year.
“These critical pieces of legislation included US$2 billion in Foreign Military Financing for Taiwan and partners in the Indo-Pacific to strengthen defense capabilities, promote regional stability, and support U.S. national security interests,” he said.
Taiwan has been “one of the largest buyers of U.S. defense equipment, purchased with Taiwan’s own funding, supporting American businesses and jobs,” Diaz-Balart added.
References:
[1] Focus Taiwan
[2] Taipei Times
Congressional Taiwan Caucus Co-Chairs Condemn China’s New Guidelines Targeting People of Taiwan
On July 12, U.S. Representatives Andy Barr (R-KY), Ami Bera (D-CA), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), and Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), co-chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, issued a statement condemning China’s new guidelines targeting Taiwanese as an act that severely threatens regional stability and peace.
“As Taiwan Caucus Co-Chairs and strong advocates for robust U.S.-Taiwan relations, we strongly condemn the recent guidelines by the People’s Republic of China [PRC], which include allowing the death penalty for individuals deemed advocates of Taiwan independence and finding them guilty in absentia.”
“This escalatory move by Beijing represents a significant threat to peace and stability in the region,” they said, adding that these new guidelines would “have a severe chilling effect on exchanges with China” and represent “a destabilizing policy approach to cross-strait relations.”
“The Congressional Taiwan Caucus will continue to stand with our key democratic partner, Taiwan, as it faces an increasingly belligerent and dangerous PRC,” they said.
“We call on the international community to join us in condemning the PRC’s actions, supporting a secure, free, and democratic Taiwan, and strengthening efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.” the statement concluded.
Late last month, China issued the 22-point set of guidelines to penalize die-hard “Taiwan independence separatists,” including with the death penalty.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink had said during a congressional testimony session on June 27 that China was pushing for extraterritorial jurisdiction in a “worrisome way” that would create a chilling effect on cross-Taiwan Strait dialogue and interaction.
That same day, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council issued a travel advisory that upgraded the warning for travel to China, Hong Kong and Macau to orange from yellow, and urged Taiwanese to refrain from traveling there unless absolutely necessary.
