President Lai Ching-te received U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Deb Fischer Aug. 29 in Taipei City, pledging to strengthen Taiwan’s defense capabilities and expand Taiwan-U.S. relations for global prosperity.
 
Lai welcomed Wicker on his first visit to Taiwan as the chair of the Armed Services Committee, adding that such visits demonstrate the continuity and significance of security cooperation between the two sides.
 
The president thanked the committee for supporting Taiwan, citing the annual U.S. National Defense Authorization Acts that include initiatives to enhance Taiwan’s security, and the Foreign Military Financing program that has helped Taiwan further improve its national defense capabilities.
 
Taiwan’s 2026 defense budget will exceed 3 percent of the gross domestic product and reach 5 percent by 2030, in alignment with NATO standards, Lai said. The government looks forward to advancing defense partnerships with the U.S. through continuous military procurement and expanded cooperation, he added.
 
Lai said the government will continue to promote integrated diplomacy, values-based diplomacy and its work with other democracies to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. He noted the high volume of investment and trade between Taiwan and the U.S. and said he hoped the ongoing tariff negotiations would help resolve trade deficit issues to expand bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
 
In response, Wicker said the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances are cornerstones of Taiwan-U.S. relations. The visit underscores congressional commitment to the long-term friendship with Taiwan and Taiwan’s right to preserve its freedom and self-determination, he added.
 
Fischer said Washington and Taipei need to invest wisely to strengthen deterrence and ensure that the defenses are ready for the threats of tomorrow. She praised Taiwan’s progress in bolstering self-defense capabilities and looked forward to exploring areas where the two sides can deepen cooperation. 


Source:  Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)