Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said that like-minded democracies along the Indo-Pacific First Island Chain should strengthen cooperation to jointly counter authoritarian expansion, as China’s military expansion is not aimed solely at Taiwan but that its ambitions extend to the entire region.
The minister made the remarks during a video interview Aug. 13 in Taipei City for the Newshour program of London-based news media, the BBC.
Taiwan-U.S. relations are based on institutional foundations such as the Taiwan Relations Act and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Lin said, citing two arms sales packages totaling over US$11 billion passed by the U.S. President Donald Trump administration last year. He further quoted U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying that relevant arms sales are not suspended but remain under review, adding that Taiwan is highly confident of the advancement of arms sales and delivery of weapons.
Responding to U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s recent remarks that U.S. Indo-Pacific policies are grounded in the realities of power and interest and that the era of the U.S. subsidizing the defense of wealthy nations is over, Lin said the issue is burden-sharing. He added that Taiwan has raised its national defense budget to 3.3 percent of the country’s gross domestic production and is expected to reach 5 percent by 2030 to deter potential Chinese aggression.
According to Lin, Trump’s administration reaffirmed that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged and there is still potential for continued development of two-way ties following the meeting between U.S. and Chinese leaders in May. He added that Trump has emphasized that Taiwan is Taiwan and the country is not a bargaining chip.
Addressing the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, Lin expressed concern that Beijing could potentially exploit the situation, adding that Taiwan will continue to pay close attention to developments. (YCH-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
The minister made the remarks during a video interview Aug. 13 in Taipei City for the Newshour program of London-based news media, the BBC.
Taiwan-U.S. relations are based on institutional foundations such as the Taiwan Relations Act and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Lin said, citing two arms sales packages totaling over US$11 billion passed by the U.S. President Donald Trump administration last year. He further quoted U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying that relevant arms sales are not suspended but remain under review, adding that Taiwan is highly confident of the advancement of arms sales and delivery of weapons.
Responding to U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s recent remarks that U.S. Indo-Pacific policies are grounded in the realities of power and interest and that the era of the U.S. subsidizing the defense of wealthy nations is over, Lin said the issue is burden-sharing. He added that Taiwan has raised its national defense budget to 3.3 percent of the country’s gross domestic production and is expected to reach 5 percent by 2030 to deter potential Chinese aggression.
According to Lin, Trump’s administration reaffirmed that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged and there is still potential for continued development of two-way ties following the meeting between U.S. and Chinese leaders in May. He added that Trump has emphasized that Taiwan is Taiwan and the country is not a bargaining chip.
Addressing the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, Lin expressed concern that Beijing could potentially exploit the situation, adding that Taiwan will continue to pay close attention to developments. (YCH-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
from Taiwan Today – Top News