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President Lai Ching-te on Tuesday morning chaired a press conference on the sixth US-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue, held last Tuesday in Washington, DC. During the meeting, representatives for Taiwan and the US signed a joint statement on the Pax Silica Declaration and US-Taiwan Cooperation on Economic Security. Lai said this result sharply contrasts with the ongoing think tank exchanges between the KMT and Beijing, and that it’s up for the people to decide whether closer ties with the US or China is more advantageous for Taiwan.

The Presidential Office is holding a press conference on the sixth US-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue held last Tuesday in Washington, DC, with attendance by economic affairs and foreign ministers.

Lai Ching-te
President
This is the first time for our two sides to hold talks face-to-face since the inaugural Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue in 2020. The dialogue this time focused on strategic partnership for supply chain security, third-country cooperation on critical minerals and four pillars of bilateral cooperation.

Representatives for Taiwan and the US signed a joint statement on the Pax Silica Declaration and US-Taiwan Cooperation on Economic Security during the meeting, to continue deepening bilateral economic cooperation. Meanwhile, the opposition KMT is now holding think tank exchanges with Beijing counterparts, which critics see as a direct challenge to the ruling DPP’s policy direction.

Lai Ching-te
President
The press conference today isn’t aimed at the KMT’s exchanges with the CCP at the moment. Rather, it’s to demonstrate a contrast, so that the people can see clearly for themselves, whether the DPP administration’s efforts—joining hands with the US and allies and becoming more internationalized—whether this economic strategy is more beneficial to Taiwan, or whether the opposition’s efforts for a second “Westward Movement” is more beneficial for Taiwan’s economic development.

National defense is also an indispensable part to US-Taiwan relations, as clearly demonstrated in an X post made by US Senator Roger Wicker, who also chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee. Speaking of the opposition’s blocking of the Executive Yuan’s special defense budget bill, Wicker wrote that he’s “disappointed to see Taiwan’s opposition parties in parliament slash President Lai’s defense budget so dramatically.” He also urged Taiwan’s lawmakers to reconsider, “especially with rising Chinese threats.” President Lai concurs.

Lai Ching-te
President
Oversight is the legislature’s responsibility. It has a duty to review the central government’s general budget. But speaking of the special defense budget, especially in the face of Chinese threats, they simply cannot refuse to review the central government’s general budget, nor can they refuse to review the special defense budget. Only conducting KMT-CCP cooperation is dangerous to Taiwan.

Lai again urges the opposition to approve the general budget and the original special defense budget.

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