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Taiwan receives direct threats of war from China over US passage of Travel Act

The US Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday published an amended version of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act which contains provisions calling for strengthened security cooperation and military communication with Taiwan including supporting US troops to participate in the island's Han Kuang exercises. The legislation will very likely pass the Senate.

The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act garnered extensive attention as it demanded the US defense secretary evaluate the possibility of mutual visits by naval vessels between the US and Taiwan. Congress also passed the Taiwan Travel Act, which allows high-level visits between leaders of Taiwan and the US. These laws encroach on the one-China principle, which is the political foundation of China-US relations, and create uncertainties in bilateral relations.
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http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1106083.shtml


The bill also calls on the Pentagon to consider “supporting a visit by an American hospital ship to Taiwan as part of the annual Pacific Partnership mission” to improve disaster response planning and preparedness.

Analysts said the bill takes military links between the US and Taiwan to a higher level, going from advice and training to active participation in drills, and it provides for arms deals to be negotiated on a case-by-case basis rather than as a bundle.

Former Taiwanese defence minister Andrew Yang, who is now secretary general of the Taipei-based Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies, said Taiwan was expecting the US to provide more weapons and have more security exchanges.

“This support is not just lip service, but should involve taking action,” Andrew Yang was quoted as saying on Thursday by Taiwan’s semi-official Central News Agency.

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2149778/us-bill-calls-pentagon-send-troops-take-part-taiwan
 
US officials have guaranteed that Taiwan will be able to purchase 36 Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV-7) from a reserved stock that is not affected by demand from other buyers, a Ministry of National Defense official said yesterday on condition of anonymity.

A stock of troop carriers was set aside for Taiwan, as demand for the vehicles has exceeded the stock available for arms sales, the official said, citing communications from the US government.

The AAV-7s to be sold to Taiwan would not be withdrawn from active service, but are mothballed units that have been refurbished with new or mint condition engines and transmissions, the official said.

The refurbishment program would improve the reliability of Taiwan-bound AAV-7 units, while production of critical components has been prearranged to ensure expedited delivery when shipments start, the official said.

The nation’s marine corps has a fleet of 54 AAV-7 units in service and the navy has requested that the government purchase 36 more of the vehicles to meet operational needs, including for disaster relief, the official said.
The AAV units are scheduled to be delivered in two batches, one in 2020 and the other in 2021, the official said.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2018/06/11/2003694695
 
Taiwan is to work more closely with the US on defense and other exchanges as China unilaterally destabilizes regional peace, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday in a meeting with US officials.

Tsai met with American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman James Moriarty at the Presidential Office Building, where they discussed shared ideas about democracy and talked about the enduring Taiwan-US relationship
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2018/06/14/2003694840
 
 In a vote of 85 to 10, the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was passed by the Senate yesterday (June 18) with provisions to facilitate greater miliary cooperation and collaboration between the U.S. and Taiwan.

According to a recent draft by the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, the annual defense bill states that the U.S. military will be expected to participate in military drills with Taiwanese forces.

The NDAA sets out policies and procedures for the Department of Defense's programs and activities for the 2019 financial year.  

The bill says that based on the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. should support Taiwan's improvement of its defensive military capabilities and should work to streamline U.S. arms sales to Taiwan based on the country's needs.

Some media observers, like Liberty Times, suggest that after the passage of the bill, U.S. forces may participate in Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military exercises next year.

The bill also calls for greater collaboration between Taiwan and the U.S. in areas relating to humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

The NDAA is also expected to include provisions to stop the Department of Defense from dealing with Chinese telecom ZTE in its entirety, in order to penalize ZTE for lying about circumventing UN-backed sanctions against Iran and North Korea.

The final version of the bill which was passed by the Senate will be available to the public next week.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3460870
 
Taiwan, which has seen increased military exercises off its coast by Chinese forces this year, has just inked a major energy deal with a U.S. energy firm.

On Monday, Taiwan’s CPC Corp., a major LNG importer, announced a preliminary deal to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from U.S. based LNG producer Cheniere Energy for a period of 25 years. CPC signed a Heads of Agreement to purchase 2 million tonnes of LNG annually from the major gas exporter, which is gearing up to start exports from its second export plant at Corpus Christi, Texas.

Taiwan is the fifth largest LNG importer in the world after Japan, China, South Korea and India. With scant hydrocarbon resources of its own, and with nuclear power needed for electricity generation falling out of favor with the Taiwanese populace, the island country will increasingly rely on both oil and gas imports to fuel its economy.

However, this presents several geopolitical complexities for the country of some 24 million people. Amid Chinese President Xi Jinping’s more muscular approach in the Asia Pacific region, including pressing against its neighbors in overlapping claims in the South China Sea, China’s stance toward Taiwan has also worsened, pitting Washington (which has a more than 50 year old mutual defense treaty with Taiwan) on a potential collision course with Beijing. China has vowed to bring Taiwan under is control, even at the threat of armed conflict.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Taiwan-Doubles-Down-On-US-LNG.html
 
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Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday met here a delegation of people from various sectors in Taiwan, led by former chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) party Lien Chan.

The pursuit of a just cause and people's common aspirations is unstoppable, said Xi during the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

"We have the confidence and ability to keep a firm hold on the correct direction, work for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and advance the process toward the peaceful reunification of China," Xi said.

Xi called on compatriots on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to work together to uphold the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle, and to resolutely oppose and deter "Taiwan independence."

He also called for joint efforts by both sides to expand and deepen cross-Strait exchange and cooperation in various fields, improve the kinship among compatriots and their wellbeing, and "jointly write the new chapter of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

"Once seeing through a long-term perspective and with a broad vision, compatriots from the two sides of the Strait would grasp the big picture of cross-Strait relations and overcome difficulties to push it forward," Xi said.
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http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2018-07/14/content_8089544.htm
 
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