The administration of US President Donald Trump is stepping up pressure on key allies in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly Japan and Australia, demanding clear commitments on their role in the event of a war between the US and China over Taiwan, the Financial Times reports, citing informed sources.
“US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby has been actively raising this issue in recent months at meetings with representatives of the Japanese and Australian defense ministries. According to sources, this has surprised allies, as the US itself does not provide Taiwan with security guarantees,” the report said.
“Specific operational planning and exercises that are directly applicable to an unforeseen situation in Taiwan are being advanced with Japan and Australia,” one of the publication’s sources said.
However, the Japanese Ministry of Defense noted that the issue of an emergency situation in Taiwan is hypothetical and that responses to it should be based on national and international law. The Australian Embassy in the US declined to comment.
According to the publication, Colby’s efforts are part of Trump’s agenda to “restore deterrence and achieve peace through strength,” which includes calls for allies to increase defense spending.
It is also noted that Colby advocates revising the AUKUS security agreement, which allows Australia to acquire nuclear submarines, and calls on European allies to reduce their military presence in the Indo-Pacific region and focus on the Euro-Atlantic direction.
The head of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Lai Tsing-jeou, has won the presidential election in Taiwan, Western media report.
He received 40.2% of the vote, significantly outpacing his opponents. It is reported that almost all ballots have been counted. However, the Central Election Commission has not yet announced the voter turnout.
The media reminds us that the DPP will remain in power in Taiwan for the third consecutive term: Tsai Ing-wen has held the presidency for two four-year terms since 2016.
Hou Yui of the Kuomintang Party, who won 33% of the vote, has already congratulated Lai Tsing-jeou on his victory. Ke Wen-jeou, the founder and leader of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who managed to win 26.33% of the vote, also conceded defeat.
Later, Lai Tsingde thanked everyone who voted for him, as well as Hou Yui and Ke Wen-jeou, who agreed with the election results.
“We are telling the international community that when it comes to choosing between democracy and authoritarianism, we choose the side of democracy,” he said.
“The party of current Vice President Lai, which defends Taiwan’s identity and rejects China’s territorial claims, is running for a third term, an unprecedented development in Taiwan’s current electoral system,” Reuters notes.
The European Union welcomed the elections held in Taiwan on January 13, citing a common commitment to democracy.
“Our respective systems of governance are based on a common commitment to democracy, the rule of law and human rights. The European Union emphasizes that peace and stability in the Taiwan
Strait area is key to regional and global security and prosperity,” a statement by a spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) said in a statement released on Saturday in Brussels.
At the same time, the EEAS spokesperson noted that the European Union remains concerned about the growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo.”
Earlier, the Experts club information and analytical center released a video about the most important elections in the world in 2024, which predicted the victory of an anti-Chinese candidate for the presidency of Taiwan. More information about the 2024 global elections can be found in the video here: https://youtu.be/73DB0GbJy4M?si=O98WbmetBtle9DnH
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Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry has allocated about $56 million in the 2023 budget for rebuilding Ukraine’s civil infrastructure, Caribbean News Global reported Monday.
The publication said, citing Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry, plans to participate in the reconstruction of Ukrainian hospitals, schools, churches, energy facilities, water supply, bridges and transport on a bilateral and multilateral basis.
“Since the start of the war (Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine), the people and government of Taiwan have donated a total of 27 tons of medical supplies and more than 700 tons of humanitarian aid. Aid from Taiwan was quickly delivered via Poland, Slovakia and other neighboring countries to Ukrainians seeking to protect their homes during the war,” the publication notes.
Taiwan also donated more than $41 million to efforts in coordination with neighboring countries – including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania – and international organizations to resettle Ukrainian refugees together.
Kyiv has received the first two of 20 planned high-capacity generators (300-800 kVA) as part of a memorandum between Kyiv and Taiwan on assistance in acquiring alternative power sources, the press service of the capital’s mayor said Monday.
“The first two generators have already been transferred to Kievteploenergo, they are used in city boiler houses. As part of the project, about 20 generators are expected to be transferred to power critical infrastructure facilities in the capital. We are very grateful to our partners for support of Kyiv and Ukraine,” Vitalii Klitschko said during the transfer of generators to the communal enterprise “Kyivteploenerho”.
Last December, Kiev and Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding to help the Ukrainian capital purchase diesel power generators with the help of a donation from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
An inter-factional deputy association (IFO) “In support of friendship, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation with Taiwan” will start working in the Verkhovna Rada, said Alexander Merezhko, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy and Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation (Servant of the People faction) .
“Together with our colleagues, we decided to create an IFI “In support of friendship and cooperation with Taiwan” (…) In fact, the IFI has already been created. All that remains is to announce its creation at the plenary meeting,” Merezhko told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.
According to the head of the committee, he was one of the initiators of the creation of the IFO, which included 15 people’s deputies from the Servant of the People, Holos, and European Solidarity factions.
Merezhko noted that he personally was prompted to create an IFO by Taiwan’s actions – “serious sanctions against Russia” imposed after the start of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the assistance provided to our country.
“That is, Taiwan behaved like a true friend in a difficult time for us. Society in Taiwan also very actively supported Ukraine,” Merezhko stressed.
Speaking about the plans of IFIs, Merezhko emphasized that he considers the model of European countries, which have their own economic representations in Taipei, to be attractive.
“We need to develop economic, cultural, humanitarian and other ties with Taiwan. By the way, the European Parliament recommends that EU states develop ties with Taiwan. And this is right, because we have common values. For example, such as democracy and the rule of law,” explained people’s deputy.
In the statement on the creation of the IFO, handed over by Merezhko to the Interfax-Ukraine agency, the people’s deputies note the need to “develop relations with Taiwan to protect peace, within the framework of international law, the UN Charter, Ukraine’s international obligations and the one China policy.”
According to the document, the MPs included in it elected Merezhko as the head of the MFI.
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress Pelosi should land in Taiwan an hour earlier than the time previously published in various media (at 16:20 Kyiv time). Her delegation will consist of 40 people.
The visit of the Speaker of the House of Representatives may last until 5:00 pm Wednesday local time.
Earlier, a Boeing C-40C special flight carrying Nancy Pelosi arrived in Singapore on Sunday, according to Flightradar data.
Prior to this, the aircraft took off from the Hawaiian Islands, where it made an intermediate landing after flying from the continental United States.
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress Nancy Pelosi went on an official trip to Asia, during which she will visit Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, her press office said in an official statement. It is indicated that Pelosi led the American delegation, the purpose of which is to conduct negotiations on trade, security, climate change and the COVID-19 epidemic.
At the same time, the message does not mention the possibility of her visit to Taiwan, which she previously announced.
Tensions over a possible visit to Taiwan by Pelosi rose after Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden on Thursday, said that the position of the Chinese leadership and the people of the country on the Taiwan issue is firm, and that “the United States must respect” the principle of one China.” He also warned Biden against “playing with fire” on Taiwan.
Previously, the YouTube channel “Club of Experts” called Pelosi’s possible visit to Taiwan a top event. For a more detailed analysis of upcoming events in Ukraine and the world, see the video review of the Expert Club channel at the link
