TAIPEI: Taiwan will intensify military exchanges with the United States (US) to curb the expansion of autocratic power, especially by China.
The development was informed by the President, Tsai Ing-wen, after a meeting with a delegation of US lawmakers at his office near Taipei.
He said it was time ‘to explore more opportunities for cooperation’ between the US and Taiwan, but did not reveal the details of the exchange.”Taiwan and the US will continue to increase military exchanges.
In the future, Taiwan will cooperate more actively with the US and other democratic partners to face global challenges such as climate change and the expansion of autocratic power.
“Together we are able to continue to protect the values of democracy and freedom,” he said.
The visit comes after a top US defense official reportedly made a rare stopover in Taiwan as Washington-Beijing tensions escalate over China’s spy balloon allegations.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to seize it one day, while resisting any formal exchange with democracy and reacting angrily to visits by US politicians to the island in recent years.
Beijing-US relations are increasingly strained with China expressing anger over a Financial Times report on US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China Michael Chase’s visit.
The report said Michael was the most senior Pentagon official to visit the island since 2019.
Source: Bharian
