The government and people of Taiwan are deeply grateful and thankful for the signing into law of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, by President Donald J. Trump Dec. 27, according to the Presidential Office.
Under the bill, an authorization of US$3 million is made for the Taiwan-U.S. Global Cooperation and Training Framework. It also contains provisions for the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020.
GCTF was launched in 2015 by the like-minded partners as a platform for promoting clean energy, disaster relief and mitigation, good governance, law enforcement, public health and women’s empowerment in the Indo-Pacific. The act advocates regular sales of defense articles to Taiwan and its meaningful participation in global organizations.
The legislation also requires the U.S. secretary of state to review State Department guidance governing relations with Taiwan and submit a report to Congress, including implementation results of the Taiwan Travel Act.
President Tsai Ing-wen appreciates the support for Taiwan demonstrated by the U.S. administration and bipartisan lawmakers in the House and Senate, the PO said, adding that the bill will help expand collaboration between the two sides, as well as Japan and other countries participating in the GCTF.
Taiwan and the U.S. are staunch allies sharing the same democratic values, the PO said. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to deepen its cooperative partnership with the U.S. and remain a force for good in the world, the office added.
The PO also took the opportunity to thank Trump for greenlighting 11 arms sales to Taiwan, underscoring the U.S. government’s commitment to meeting obligations in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances. In addition, passage of the Taiwan Travel Act by the Trump administration facilitated more reciprocal visits by high-level officials while significantly deepening friendship and expanding exchanges between the like-minded partners.
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “We thank @POTUS for signing into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, authorizing US$3M for the Global Cooperation & Training Framework & containing provisions for the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020. The bill shows strong support on Capitol Hill for #Taiwan-#US ties.” (YCH-E)
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