TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A $8 billion defense package approved by the U.S. House of Representatives over the weekend will “strengthen the deterrence against authoritarianism in the West Pacific ally chain,” Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te said Tuesday, in a reference to key rival China.
The funding will also “help ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and also boost confidence in the region” Lai, currently Taiwan’s vice president, told visiting Michigan Representatives Lisa McClain, a Republican, and Democrat Dan Kildee at a meeting at the Presidential Office Building in the capital Taipei.
In the face of “authoritarian expansionism,” Taiwan is “determined to safeguard democracy and also safeguard our homeland, Lai said.”
Also known as William Lai, U.S.-educated former medical researcher is despised by Beijing for his opposition to political unification with the mainland. In recent elections, the pro-unification Nationalists won a narrow majority in the legislature, but their influence on foreign policy and other national issues remains limited.
Richmond Mayor Stoney drops Virginia governor bid, he will run for lieutenant governor instead
Families Attend Archaeological Tour During Beijing Public Archaeology Season
China Gears up for Graduate School Entrance Exam
Paddy Rice Harvest in Huangfu Village, Northwest China's Shaanxi
Traditional Chinese Cultural Activities Attract Tourists During National Day Holiday
Medical Experts Provide Free Medical Services for Villagers in S China's Guangxi
Bamboo Industry Revitalizes Old Revolutionary Base
5th CIIE Attracts 145 Countries, Regions, Int'l Organizations