By Caribbean News Global 
TAIWAN, Taipei – US president Joe Biden on March 23 signed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, completing the legislative process for the bill and injecting financial resources into various measures and initiatives supporting Taiwan.
“The act bolsters already strong momentum in Taiwan-US exchanges and includes express provisions granting Taiwan not less than US$300 million in foreign military financing assistance, allocating US$26 million for US Department of Defense international security cooperation programs with Taiwan, and earmarking not less than US$4 million for the Global Cooperation and Training Framework. The act also prioritizes reforming the arms sales process to accelerate arms delivery and supports Taiwan’s international participation.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Taiwan thanked cross-party friends in the US Congress as well as the Biden administration for using concrete legislative action to again demonstrate support for the comprehensive Taiwan-US partnership and security across the Taiwan Strait.
“The act will provide a wide variety of substantive policy tools and funding to enhance Taiwan-US security cooperation, strengthen Taiwan’s overall defense resilience, and expand Taiwan’s international presence,” MOFA noted. “In addition, the US president’s fiscal year 2025 budget request listed a dedicated item for military aid to Taiwan. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, also separately allocates funds for foreign military financing for Taiwan, underscoring the fact that the US executive branch and Congress share a high degree of consensus on bolstering Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region.”
MOFA response advised that:
“In alignment with overall national policy, the Taiwan government will steadily advance national defence-related reforms, strengthen self-defence capabilities, and coordinate and cooperate closely with the United States to incrementally promote the implementation of provisions friendly to Taiwan, deepen the comprehensive Taiwan-US partnership, and fulfil Taiwan’s obligations as a responsible member of the region. Together, Taiwan and the United States will continue working to safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific,” MOFA said in a press release.
US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell and Lithuanian minister of foreign affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis reaffirmed the importance of cross-strait peace and stability.
“MOFA sincerely welcomes and appreciates that the United States has publicly expressed support for cross-strait peace and stability jointly with Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Germany, and other like-minded nations on separate occasions during March,” the Department of North American Affairs, said in a press release Tuesday.
China’s routine application of political pressure, economic coercion, grey-zone tactics, and other means in pursuit of its political ends has elicited high levels of international concern. Democratic countries have become even more united in the face of authoritarian challenges.
“MOFA welcomes the fact that other countries continue to focus on security across the Taiwan Strait. As a member of the democratic community, Taiwan will continue to coordinate closely with like-minded nations to jointly respond to the coercive conduct of authoritarian nations, safeguard the rules-based international order, and ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the region.”
MOFA continues to deeply appreciate the support for Taiwan by Australia and the United Kingdom, citing their statement “again demonstrates that security across the Taiwan Strait is closely intertwined with peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and across the globe.
Australia and the United Kingdom, in a recent joint statement, underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues without the threat or use of force or coercion. Australia and the United Kingdom also committed to supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations reiterated their will to continue deepening relations with Taiwan in the economic, scientific, trade, technological, and cultural fields.
“As members of the AUKUS trilateral security partnership and like-minded democratic partners of Taiwan, Australia and the United Kingdom are major stabilizing forces for peace in the Indo-Pacific region. Their statement again demonstrates that security across the Taiwan Strait is closely intertwined with peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and across the globe,” the Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, continued. “Building on solid existing foundations, the government of Taiwan will further engage in close cooperation with like-minded countries to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait; expand international space for Taiwan; defend shared values of democracy and freedom, as well as the rules-based international order; and jointly advance peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”
