Taiwanese Officials: U.S. New Administration to Continue Friendly Approach to Taiwan
The U.S. will continue its friendly approach toward Taiwan in the next U.S. administration, and the talks on U.S.-Taiwan trade and double taxation deals would not be impacted by the result of the U.S. presidential election, Taiwanese officials have said.
“On relations across the Taiwan Strait, we believe that the United States will continue its current approach of constraining China and being friendly to Taiwan,” Taiwan’s National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen said on the morning of November 6 (Taipei local time) ahead of Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential election win.
Taiwan has faced increasing military pressure from China over the past five years, including four major rounds of war games in the past two years.
Taiwan will continue to communicate with the current U.S. administration, focusing on key issues for cooperation “in the next phase,” and work with international partners to exchange information on China’s intentions and military movements during the transition of the U.S. government, he added.
Taiwan’s Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo said that Taiwan-U.S. economic ties are deep and would not be easy to change. The effect on the economy would be small, irrespective of who the next U.S. president is.
The Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations said that Taiwan and the U.S. have communication channels on trade issues that have long been in place.
The U.S.-Taiwan 21st Century Trade Initiative was launched in June 2022, with the first batch of agreements signed in June 2023 on customs and border procedures, regulatory practices, and small businesses.
The latest round of talks on the second batch of agreements on agricultural, labor, and environmental issues began in May 2024. The office said it is confident that the ongoing bilateral talks on the trade initiative will continue.
Moreover, the U.S. and Taiwan announced last month that they would begin negotiations on a comprehensive double taxation agreement “in coming weeks.”
Both the U.S. and Taiwan can benefit from a comprehensive tax agreement because such an agreement can “reduce double taxation barriers for further investment by Taiwan into the United States, and vice versa,” the U.S. Department of the Treasury said in a press statement on October 29.
References:
[1] Taipei Times
[2] Focus Taiwan
Taiwan Receives 11 Sets of HIMARS Rocket Systems, Training Underway
The first batch of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) purchased from the U.S. has arrived in Taiwan in October ahead of schedule, Taiwan’s Deputy Defense Minister Po Horng-huei confirmed on November 6.
Earlier news reports, citing an unnamed military source, said that the Taiwan Army’s 58th Artillery Command is currently undergoing training on operating the rocket systems.
Taiwan’s military purchased 29 sets of HIMARS in two procurements, with the first 11 sets have arrived on the island. The remaining 18 units are to be sent to Taiwan by 2026.
Along with the HIMARS, the procurement included 84 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), 864 precision rockets, two sets of training simulators, and other ancillary equipment.
The HIMARS are to be operated by the Taiwan Army, while the Taiwan Air Force’s Air Defense and Missile Command would continue to operate domestically produced Hsiung Feng (“Brave Wind”) missile systems. The ATACMS would be deployed based on assessments by the General Staff Headquarters units.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said in its 2023 report that HIMARS could be deployed in the western part of Taiwan to provide high precision, highly mobile, and long-distance firepower.
During an interview, Su Tzu-yun, a research fellow at the state-run Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that Taiwan would use two types of munitions with the HIMARS: a traditional rocket with a range of 50km to 70km, and ATACMS missiles with a range of 300km.
The sale of the 300km-range missiles to Taiwan signaled mutual trust between Taiwan and the U.S., which would facilitate future procurements, Su said, adding that Taiwan’s military could possibly acquire Precision Strike Missiles with a range of nearly 500km.
References:
[1] Taiwan News
[2] Focus Taiwan
[3] Taipei Times
U.S.-ROK Joint Statement Stresses Importance of Cross-Taiwan Strait Stability, Expressing Concern over China’s Drills
The U.S. and South Korea have expressed concern over China’s recent “provocative actions,” as it had recently conducted large-scale military exercises around Taiwan and raised tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
In a joint statement released on November 1 by the U.S. and South Korean governments after their “2+2 ministerial meeting,” both sides emphasized the importance of stability across the Strait.
On October 31, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosted a joint foreign and defense ministerial meeting with South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul and South Korean Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun.
The officials “expressed concern over [China’s] provocative actions, particularly the recent military drills around Taiwan that escalate tension,” the statement said.
“Both sides emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community,” it added.
Washington and Seoul remained unchanged in their basic position about Taiwan, such as their wish for “the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues,” the statement added.
The 2+2 talks are bilateral meetings the U.S. holds with key allies in the region, such as South Korea, Japan, and Australia.
