US Praises Taiwan’s Efforts to Strengthen Self-Defence Under President William Lai
The United States has praised Taiwan’s initiatives to enhance its self-defence through various reforms and investments. Ingrid Larson, managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan’s Washington Office, commended President William Lai’s administration during the US-Taiwan Defence Industry Conference in Philadelphia.
Larson highlighted that Beijing has been applying pressure on Taiwan through diplomatic, military, and economic tactics. She cited the example of Edinburgh, Scotland, canceling its sister city plans with Kaohsiung due to Chinese influence.
The US supports Taiwan’s proposal to raise its defence budget by nearly 6% to approximately USD 20 billion next year. Larson also appreciated Taiwan’s Minister of National Defence, Wellington Koo, for backing significant defence reforms, including the creation of a new organization within the defence ministry.
Larson discussed the Whole-of-Society Defence Resilience Committee, which aims to engage various sectors in national defence. She emphasized that peace and stability involve more than traditional defence measures and should include enhancing Taiwan’s societal resilience.
The US aims to strengthen its unofficial relationship with Taiwan, raise global awareness of peace in the Taiwan Strait, and bolster Taiwan’s economic diplomacy. Larson noted the importance of US businesses pursuing opportunities with Taiwan to help integrate and strengthen its resilience.
She concluded by mentioning the Biden administration’s efforts to alleviate tax burdens on US and Taiwanese businesses and invited leading semiconductor manufacturers from Taiwan to establish chip ecosystems in the US.
Doubts Revealed
Taiwan -: Taiwan is an island near China. It has its own government and is not controlled by China.
President William Lai -: William Lai is the leader of Taiwan. He helps make important decisions for the country.
American Institute in Taiwan -: The American Institute in Taiwan is like an embassy. It helps the US and Taiwan work together.
US-Taiwan Defence Industry Conference -: This is a meeting where people from the US and Taiwan talk about how to make Taiwan safer.
Beijing -: Beijing is the capital city of China. Sometimes, people use ‘Beijing’ to talk about the Chinese government.
societal resilience -: Societal resilience means how strong and prepared people are to handle problems and challenges.
economic diplomacy -: Economic diplomacy is when countries work together to help each other’s economies grow.