Taiwan President Lai Ching-te [EPA/Yonhap]
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te [EPA/Yonhap]

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te met with members of the US House of Representatives on Friday and pressed the case for deeper drone cooperation between the two sides.

Lai received Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, and other subcommittee members at the presidential office in Taipei, according to Yonhap.

In an unusual move, Taiwan's presidential office livestreamed the meeting, signaling the significance it attached to the visit.

"China continues to escalate military pressure on Taiwan and intensify gray-zone incursions," Lai said. "Taiwan's position has always been clear: we will not provoke or take reckless action, nor will we capitulate or make concessions. We are firmly committed to preserving the peace, stability and status quo in the Taiwan Strait."

He said peace is built on strength, adding that Taiwan is steadily increasing its defense budget and bolstering society's defense capabilities. "We will also deepen cooperation with democratic partners and demonstrate our resolve and ability to jointly deter aggression and respond to threats," he said.

Lai underscored drone cooperation — including the purchase of US-made drones and Taiwan's participation in the supply chain — as a central theme of the meeting.

"Unmanned aerial vehicles have already become an indispensable asset in modern defense, and countries around the world are seeking safe and reliable sources," he said. "Taiwan has industrial advantages in semiconductors, IT and precision manufacturing, and is well positioned to seize a major opportunity in developing the drone industry."

He said the Taiwanese government has submitted a special budget for drone procurement and has been advancing drone research and development, testing and mass production. The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, a defense research body under Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, recently passed a qualification review for the US defense supply chain.

"Taiwan hopes to join hands with the United States to build a safe, reliable and China-free 'non-red supply chain,'" Lai said. "We will develop the drone industry at full capacity to enhance the research, development and mass-production capabilities of our democratic partners and respond more swiftly to the needs of the defense and international markets."

He added that Taiwan has long enjoyed the support of the US Congress and government — from democratic values and regional security to science and technology cooperation — and that this support has been essential to Taiwan's journey to where it stands today. "I look forward to both sides continuing to work together to make greater contributions to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," he said.

The subcommittee delegation arrived in Taiwan on Thursday for a two-night, three-day visit. It includes subcommittee chair Young Kim, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) and Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA).

"This visit is meant to demonstrate the US Congress's bipartisan and steadfast support for Taiwan," Young Kim said. "A safe and free Taiwan is vital to the security of the United States and the Indo-Pacific region."

Young Kim said she was pleased to see Taiwan working on new drone procurement legislation. "As we have seen in the war in Ukraine, Taiwan must purchase and manufacture drones at scale. Time is urgent. A comprehensive drone law must be passed as soon as possible," she said, according to the Central News Agency.


husn7@heraldcorp.com