Taiwan ‘critical’ to peace in the Indo-Pacific, head of de facto US embassy tells President Tsai Ing-wen

Laura Rosenberger, who took office as AIT chair last month, is on a six-day visit to Taiwan
Taiwan is a ‘force for good in the world’, former Biden security aide tells Tsai

Taiwan

Lawrence Chungin Taipei

Published: 9:35pm, 19 Apr 2023

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Taiwan is “critical” to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and there are many ways the island and the United States can work together, a top US envoy told Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

Laura Rosenberger, who is on a six-day visit to Taiwan as the new head of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), also told Tsai that she would use her trip to have a fuller picture of the island’s situation.

Her visit comes days after the Chinese military launched large-scale war games in response to Tsai’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a transit stop in Los Angeles on April 5.

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It also comes amid local media reports that the Pentagon had sent 200 active military instructors to Taiwan to advise its armed forces on strengthening combat training in preparation for any cross-strait conflict.

“There are many ways that we are working together … to broaden and deepen our partnership together, and I look forward to continuing that work,” Rosenberger said on Wednesday.

Rosenberger, who arrived in Taipei on Tuesday, is a former key security aide of US President Joe Biden. On March 20, she replaced James Moriarty as chair of the AIT, a de facto embassy that oversees US interests in Taiwan in the absence of official ties.

Beijing sees Taiwan as breakaway territory to be brought back under its control, by force if necessary, and is sternly opposed to any official contact between Washington and Taipei.

While Washington does not view Taiwan as a sovereign state, it is committed to its defence under the Taiwan Relations Act and opposes any forcible change to the cross-strait status quo.

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Rosenberger said the US was willing to deepen its support for and partnership with Taiwan because the island was a “force for good in the world”.

“Taiwan is a valued friend and important trade partner and is critical in maintaining peace and stability,” she said, adding that she would also meet other members of Tsai’s administration, local business and society leaders, as well as political parties, to gain more insights about Taiwan.

After Tsai defied repeated warnings against meeting McCarthy, a furious Beijing launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan, with simulated precision strikes and a blockade. Apart from deploying its Shandong aircraft carrier and other warships, the People’s Liberation Army also sent dozens of warplanes into Taiwan’s air defence zone, breaching the tacitly agreed strait median line.

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During her meeting with Rosenberger, Tsai thanked the Biden administration for its support of Taiwan.

“Further, [Biden’s] announcement of nine rounds of arm sales to Taiwan is a [gesture of] firm support in bolstering Taiwan’s self-defence capabilities as we jointly seek to safeguard regional stability and peace.”

Tsai also called for stronger economic and trade cooperation through a range of dialogue mechanisms, including the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade, seen as a prelude to talks on a future free-trade pact.

“We also believe that the signing of an avoidance of double taxation agreement would help provide even more niches for businesses on both sides to create further growth and prosperity,” Tsai said.

Taiwan will continue to do all it can to create an even more friendly investment environment for the US, she pledged.

Tsai Ing-wen with Laura Rosenberger, who became AIT chairwoman last month. Photo: CNA

Apart from seeking more US arms sales to bolster its defence capability in the face of growing military threats from Beijing, Taiwan also hopes to expand its markets in the US and elsewhere to reduce its trade reliance on the mainland. Currently, 40 per cent of Taiwan’s total exports go to the mainland.

Meanwhile, Beijing has announced a probe into what it described as “Taiwan’s trade barriers” that affect the import of mainland products.

The investigation, covering more than 2,400 Chinese products, stems from complaints by three Chinese trade groups, according to Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce.

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Earlier this week, Taiwan’s semi-official Central News Agency reported that the US had sent some 200 military instructors to advise the island’s military and support its training of conscripts.

Citing unnamed sources, the agency said the US advisers had been primarily assigned to boot camps and reserve brigades to observe Taiwan’s protocols and provide practical consultations on training methods.

“The inputs from the US advisers will be later used to help Taiwan formulate better training when mandatory military service is extended [from four months] to one year in 2024,” the agency said.

Sun Li-fang, a spokesman for Taiwan’s defence ministry, confirmed that some “friendly allies” had helped to train the island’s troops, but declined to provide more details.