AIT: US remains committed to improving Taiwan's military abilities

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
16 Jan 2024 16:29
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The chair of the American Institute in Taiwan affirms that the US seeks to protect its interests and those of Taiwan and preserve stability across the Strait.

Director of the American Institute in Taiwan Sandra Oudkirk, Chair of the AIT Laura Rosenberger, and a US delegation listen as President Tsai Ing-wen speaks at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Taiwan on Monday, January 15, 2024. (AP)

Laura Rosenberger, the chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), announced that the US will continue extending aid to Taiwan to enhance its defensive capabilities, even as a new government is formed post-elections.

"The United States reiterates our long-standing commitments to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability," she said, adding that Washington's commitments to Taiwan would stay constant regardless of the electoral results.

Rosenberg affirmed that the US seeks to protect its interests and those of Taiwan and preserve stability across the strait.

Taiwan, at the States' service

Taiwan held, on Saturday, a general election in which pro-independence candidate Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won with 40.05% of the vote to head the island's local administration.

For the legislature, the DPP earned 51 seats, the Kuomintang, which promotes dialogue with Beijing, gained 52 seats, and the Taiwan People's Party secured eight seats. The DPP was once represented in Taiwan's legislative assembly by 62 legislators, meaning it has lost 11 seats in the current elections.

Following Lai Ching-te's electoral win, former US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and former US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley arrived in Taiwan to reiterate the State's commitment to Taiwan and bring forth possibilities of deeper relations between both parties.

During the meeting that took place at his party's headquarters, Lai praised the island's "solid partnership" with the United States, saying that freedom and democracy "are the most valuable assets for the Taiwanese people, and the sacred mountains to protect Taiwan."

'Taiwan is China's Taiwan'

Despite the US' pump of military aid into Taiwan, and its constant intervention in Taiwanese-Chinese affairs, China warned that reunification is inevitable.

In a statement issued after Lai emerged as the winner, Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, Chen Binhua, said the vote "will not change the basic landscape and development trend of cross-Strait relations," according to state news agency Xinhua.

Beijing's stance on "realizing national reunification remains consistent, and our determination is as firm as rock", Chen stressed, adding that "Taiwan is China's Taiwan."

He reiterated that Beijing "firmly oppose(s) the separatist activities aimed at 'Taiwan independence' as well as foreign interference."