Pelosi plane takes a big detour to avoid South China Sea, Chinese coast

August 2, 2022August 2, 2022 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment cross-strait issues, USA-Taiwan

A US Air Force jet carrying US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi flew in a large arc over Indonesia before turning north and flying over the Philippine Sea, completely avoiding flying over the South China Sea today, three days after China’s leading propagandist warned that the Chinese military could shoot the plane down. In a now-banned tweet, Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece Global Times, wrote, “If US fighter jets escort Pelosi’s plane into Taiwan,

Military Affairs

August 2, 2022August 2, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment PLA, US-navy, USA-Taiwan

A Chinese missile destroyer and a missile frigate were detected 45 nautical miles southeast of Taiwan’s Orchid Island this morning, as tensions rise ahead of speculation that US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi will arrive later today and meet with Taiwan’s parliamentary body tomorrow. A visit by Pelosi, second-in-line to the American Presidency would mark the highest level visit of an American official since then House Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Taiwan in 1997. While Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

US congressional delegation arrives in Taiwan on US military plane

International Relations

April 14, 2022April 14, 2022 Phillip Charlier 4 Comments US Congress, USA-Taiwan

A delegation of six US lawmakers arrived in Taiwan this evening, April 14, and will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Wu, and Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng, tomorrow, April 15, before departing Friday. Led by Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez (Dem. New Jersey), and Senator Lindsey Graham (Rep. South Carolina), the group includes Republican senators Richard Burr (North Carolina), Ben Sasse (Nebraska), Rob Portman (Ohio), and Republican representative for Texas, Ronny

Wang Wenbin Ministry of Foreign Affairs China spokesperson

International Relations

March 28, 2022March 28, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China, USA-Taiwan

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin claimed today that some people in the United States are deliberately making an analogy between Taiwan and Ukraine with “sinister intentions” in an attempt to “create a new crisis” in the Taiwan Strait. The Financial Times reported on the 25th that Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral John Aquilino during a visit to Australia warned in an interview that as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army is gradually increasing pressure on Taiwan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlights the

US delegation with MOFA officials on airport tarmac

International Relations

March 1, 2022March 1, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Ministry of Foreign Affairs, USA-Taiwan

A delegation of former senior defense and security officials sent by US President Joe Biden arrived in Taipei this afternoon, Tuesday, March 1. The delegation led by former US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen touched down at Taipei Songshan Airport at 3:54 pm, and was met on the Tarmac by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. Members of the delegation include Meghan O’Sullivan, a former deputy national security advisor under the Bush administration, Michele Flournoy, a former undersecretary of defense

US China Economic and Security Review Commission

International Relations

November 18, 2021November 18, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment China expansionism, USA-Taiwan

A bipartisan congressional advisory group tasked with making an annual report on US-China relations urged US lawmakers to take urgent measures to strengthen the credibility of US military deterrence to potential Chinese aggression against Taiwan, Wednesday, November 17. The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) warned that a lack of clarity in U.S. policy could could fail to deter the Chinese Communist Party from opportunistic aggression against Taiwan. The report came just a day after a high profile meeting

International Relations

November 5, 2021November 5, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment USA-Taiwan

A group of US senators introduced a bill seeking to bolster Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against Chinese aggression by authorizing funding to the tune of US$2 billion per year in Foreign Military Financing, according to a United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations press release, Thursday, November 4. The bill also amends the Arms Export Control Act to better facilitate arms transfers to Taiwan. The proposed legislation, the Taiwan Deterrence Act, was put forward by Republican senators Jim Risch,

International Relations

August 20, 2021August 20, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China expansionism, defense, USA-Taiwan

The United States would respond to any action against, or invasion of Taiwan, US President Joe Biden said during an interview with ABC News George Stephanopoulos, Wednesday, August 18. In his first interview since the US’ chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan began, Biden made reassurances that the United States can be trusted to stand by its allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. “You already see China telling Taiwan, ‘See? You can’t count on the Americans,’” Stephanopoulos prompted Biden. “Why wouldn’t

International Relations

May 29, 2021May 29, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment USA-Taiwan

A bilateral group of American congressmen introduced a bill calling for the renaming of Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) to “Taiwan Representative Office,” the creation of a new visa category for Taiwan’s representatives serving in the USA, and for Senate confirmation of those appointed to serve as Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), Friday, May 28. The bill was introduced by Brad Sherman (Dem, Sherman Oaks) and Steve Chabot (Rep, Ohio), and supported by Gerry Connolly

Taiwan representative Hsiao Bi-khim at the Presidential Inauguration ceremony, January 20, 2021

International Relations

January 21, 2021January 21, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment Hsiao Bi-khim, USA-Taiwan

Taiwan’s representative to the United States Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) attended the inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden today, and it is the first time Taiwan’s representative to the United States was officially invited by the organizing committee since diplomatic ties were broken off in 1979. Since 1979, Taiwan representatives have attended Presidential Inauguration ceremonies with admission tickets provided by individual congress members, to be issued at their own discretion, local media outlets in Taiwan reported. The Taipei Economic and Cultural

Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific

Military Affairs

January 13, 2021January 14, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Asia Pacific, China expansionism, defense, USA-Taiwan

The surprise declassification of the U.S. Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific has revealed that the current US national defense policy for the Asia-Pacific region includes a commitment to developing a defense strategy capable of denying China air and sea dominance inside the “first island chain,” and “defending the first-island-chain nations, including Taiwan.” The previously classified “secret” and “not for foreign nationals” document was developed in 2017, and has guided the Trump administration since 2018. The document was officially declassified last

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USA-Taiwan

Pelosi plane takes a big detour to avoid South China Sea, Chinese coast

Chinese warships appear off Taiwan’s east coast ahead of Pelosi visit

Bipartisan US congressional delegation arrives in Taiwan to meet with key leaders

China: The USA trying to create a Taiwan Strait crisis by comparing Taiwan to Ukraine

US defense and security delegation arrives in Taiwan amid rise in global security risks

Bipartisan advisory group urges US Congress to get real on deterring China’s aggression against Taiwan

US Senators propose bill for billions to bolster Taiwan’s defense

Biden reassures: if Taiwan were invaded, the US would respond

Taiwan Diplomacy Review Act another step towards normalization of US-Taiwan relations

Taiwan representative attends Presidential Inauguration with official invitation for the first time since 1979

Declassified US Indo-Pacific security framework document shows commitment to defense of Taiwan