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Nominee to lead US
Pacific Command supports the TRA
Staff Writer, with CNA, Washington
The nominee for US Pacific Command commander has expressed his firm support for
the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which obliges Washington to help Taipei defend
itself.
Samuel Locklear said the law, which guides the unofficial relations between the
US and Taiwan, plays a valuable and important role in the USˇ¦ approach to the
Asia-Pacific region.
ˇ§As called for in the TRA, our long-standing policy to assist Taiwan with
maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability helps ensure security and
stability in the region,ˇ¨ Locklear said. ˇ§I would not recommend any changes to
the law.ˇ¨
Locklear was testifying at a confirmation hearing held by the US Senate
Committee on Armed Services on Thursday, during which he was asked if he saw any
need to modify the TRA, which was enacted in 1979.
On Taiwanˇ¦s request to acquire new F-16C/D fighters, Locklear said the recently
announced F-16A/B upgrades gave them a similar capability to F-16C/Ds. He added
that if his appointment was confirmed, he would continue to evaluate Taiwanˇ¦s
defense needs in coordination with the US Department of Defense.
He said the US needed to maintain military-to-military engagement with Taiwan
and assist Taiwan with joint operations capabilities and training, streamlining
and integrating its existing defense programs to be more effective and seeking
innovative solutions to complement its traditional military capabilities.
For its part, Taiwan must ensure that it adequately funds its defense programs
and transformation of its defense, which means increasing its defense budget, he
said.
ˇ§I believe the best way to encourage Taiwan to invest more in its military is to
send strong and consistent messages from the US government to Taiwan,ˇ¨ he said.
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