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In the press release “The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party: Gallagher leads letter to congressional leadership seeking support as Chinese military aggression mounts” (WisPolitics, posted Nov. 20, 2023), a joint letter by Chairman Mike Gallagher and six other members of the aforementioned House Select Committee is referenced and introduced, stating that “deterring the threat of the CCP must go further than the Biden administration’s request and include more resources for Foreign Military Financing for Taiwan, funding for U.S. Indo Pacific Command, investments in critical munitions lines, and expanded use of Presidential Drawdown Authority for Taiwan.”
Taiwan is grateful to both the Biden administration and the Congress for upholding the United States’ rock-solid commitment to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances. We appreciate the unswerving support expressed/demonstrated by Congressman Gallagher of Wisconsin and his (similarly disposed/like-minded) colleagues. Standing in the front line of democracies in the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan is committed to safeguarding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, in which the world has a vital interest. Taiwan shall firmly work together with the United States and other like-minded partners to maintain the peace, stability and prosperity of the region.
It is equally important to address the malign political-influence operations conducted by authoritarian regimes in the international sphere on issues such as climate change and combating transnational crimes, among others. For example, in recent years, due to malicious political pressure from Beijing, Taiwan has been rejected by United Nations-affiliated organizations tasked with helping to solve the abovementioned issues, primarily the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), despite Taiwan’s strong willingness to contribute its sufficient capabilities and expertise to the world. As the UNFCCC and INTERPOL will each hold their general meetings before the end of this month in Dubai and Vienna, respectively, the deliberate and unnecessary acts of obstruction damage the ability for the world, including the United States, to benefit from Taiwan’s endeavors in these critical fields.
As a force for good, Taiwan is committed to sharing its experiences and expertise globally. With the future of the world at stake, it is time to support Taiwan’s work with the United States and like-minded partners to tackle pressing global issues, for the benefit of all humanity.
-Dennis Yen-Feng Lei is director general, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago
