U.S.’s Support For Taiwan’s Security
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Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has visited Taiwan multiple times in recent years, with notable visits in March 2022, May 2024, and January 2025.
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March 2022: Pompeo arrived in Taipei on March 2, 2022, for a four-day visit during which he met with President Tsai Ing-wen and other top officials. During this trip, he called for the U.S. to recognize Taiwan as a sovereign country. Taipei Times
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May 2024: Pompeo returned to Taiwan in May 2024 as part of the American delegation attending the inauguration of President William Lai. During this visit, he reiterated his support for official U.S. recognition of Taiwan. Wikipedia
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January 2025: Pompeo’s most recent visit to Taiwan occurred in January 2025, marking his fourth visit since 2022. During this trip, he emphasized Taiwan’s key role in Washington’s model of deterrence against China and reiterated his view that the U.S. should end its policy of “strategic ambiguity” in its relations with Taiwan. Taipei Times
These visits underscore Pompeo’s continued support for strengthening U.S.-Taiwan relations and his advocacy for a more explicit U.S. policy toward Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Description of the video below, in italics, below:
Mike Pompeo, who was the U.S. secretary of state during incoming President Donald Trump’s first term in office, is visiting Taiwan for the fourth time. Pompeo stated that China does not have the power to decide the fate of Taiwan or Asia, in the video published on Jan 6, 2025, by TaiwanPlus News, as ‘Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Makes Fourth Visit to Taiwan| TaiwanPlus News“, below:
As of January 7, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has not conducted an official visit to Taiwan. Such a visit would represent a significant shift in U.S. policy, given the longstanding “One China” policy and the absence of formal diplomatic relations between the United States and Taiwan.
While Secretary Austin has not visited Taiwan, he has consistently emphasized the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. In various international forums, including the Shangri-La Dialogue, he has condemned China’s “provocative, destabilizing” military activities near Taiwan and reiterated the U.S. commitment to assisting Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability.AP News
Additionally, Secretary Austin has engaged in dialogues with Chinese defense officials to manage tensions and reduce the risk of miscalculation. For instance, in April 2024, he spoke with China’s national defense minister, emphasizing the importance of open lines of military-to-military communication. AP News
The U.S. continues to support Taiwan through arms sales and military assistance, aiming to bolster Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities without altering the existing policy framework. For example, in May 2023, Secretary Austin announced plans to provide significant security assistance to Taiwan, utilizing the Presidential Drawdown Authority to expedite the delivery of defense equipment.Taiwan News
In summary, while Secretary Austin has not visited Taiwan, his actions and statements reflect a commitment to supporting Taiwan’s security within the parameters of existing U.S. policy.
Description of the video below, in italics, below:
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Taiwan’s defense and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, saying the U.S. would provide the means for it to defend itself, if attacked by China, in the video published on Dec 10, 2024, by TaiwanPlus News, as “U.S. Defense Secretary Reiterated Commitment to Taiwan’s Defense| TaiwanPlus News“, below:
Previous U.S. support for Taiwan, excerpt from a report by CSIS (Center For Strategic & International Studies), on August 2, 2023, summarized by Mark F. Cancian & Bonny Lin, in bold italics below, is worth noting:
President Biden recently announced the provision of $345 million of military aid to Taiwan using drawdown authority passed by Congress last December. Although this does not represent a change in overall U.S. policy, it does represent a major change in U.S. practice for providing arms and implies a closer military relationship. Previously all weapons were provided through sales, not through a drawdown of U.S. stockpiles. This change occurred because of concerns regarding China’s military threat to Taiwan and the slowness of regular arms sales. The bad news is that this action will compete to some degree with the provision of weapons to Ukraine. The good news is that helping Taiwan defend itself has strong bipartisan support.
(Usually, in any commercial transaction, there should be an escape clause in case the merchant did not fulfill his/her end of the deal, be it in terms of delay or not producing or meeting the specifications of the originally agreed product. The escape clause should allow the purchaser to get his/her money back or get his/her refund. In the case of purchasing military weapons, technology is advancing so quickly that it might be more feasible for Taiwanese to get their money back and use the money to purchase drones and trainings from the Isreali because the American military procurement process is so inefficient (slow) that Taiwanese would be able to get their drones much sooner if purchased the advanced drones from the Israeli… Just a thought.)
Some of the key findings from Public Opinion Survey result reported by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, in italics, below:
- Two-thirds of Americans (65%) say that the U.S. security relationship with Taiwan does more to strengthen than weaken U.S. national security
- In the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, Americans support airlifting food and medical supplies to Taiwan (78%), imposing economic and diplomatic sanctions on China (75%), and sending additional arms and military supplies to the Taiwanese government (62%).
- Half of Americans (50%) support using the U.S. Navy to break a Chinese blockade around the island, including majorities of Democrats (54%) and Republicans (52%).
Description of the video below, in italics, below:
President Joe Biden approved $567 million in defense aid for Taiwan, reinforcing U.S. support amid China’s pressure and continued tensions over Taiwan’s sovereignty, in the video published on Sep 30, 2024, by DawnNews English, as “US Approves $567M In Military Support for Taiwan| Dawn News English“, below:
Description of the video below, in italics, below:
In a major move heightening Taiwan Strait tensions, the US has approved a $2 billion arms deal for Taiwan, including advanced missile and radar systems. The package marks the 17th US military assistance deal for Taiwan under President Biden, further underscoring Washington’s commitment to Taiwan’s defense. China’s foreign ministry condemned the deal, accusing the US of violating the one-China principle and threatening countermeasures. As Chinese military activities around Taiwan surge, the situation raises fears of further escalation in the region, in the video published on Oct 27, 2024, by Times Now World, as “US Approves $2 Billion Arms Package to Taiwan Amid Rising Tensions with China| Times Now World“, below:
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker More about the community at www.WindermereSun.com
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