US, Lithuania urge stability in Strait
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis underlined the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the US Department of State said on Monday.
Campbell and Landsbergis “affirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” during their meeting in Washington, the department said in a statement.
Campbell also expressed gratitude to Lithuania for its “continued engagement with like-minded democratic partners in the Indo-Pacific,” while stressing the US’ support for Lithuania “amid continued coercive measures by the PRC [People’s Republic of China],” the statement said.
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked the US for highlighting the same message in talks with officials from Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Germany this month alone.
In other developments, US Representative John Moolenaar is to succeed US Representative Mike Gallagher as chair of the US House of Representatives Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
US House Speaker Mike Johnson made the announcement on Monday, Moolenaar’s office said in a statement.
Moolenaar, currently a committee member, vowed to work with committee members to “help our country prepare for the challenges we face from the Chinese Communist Party and win the competition against the CCP,” it said.
He also thanked Gallagher, who had announced his planned departure from the US Congress on April 19, for the “instrumental” role he played in the establishment of the committee, and his “selfless and faithful stewardship.”
Both Johnson and Gallagher praised Moolenaar.
“Our country, our economy and our national security will be well-served by his wisdom and guidance in the ongoing work of this critical select committee,” Johnson said.
With his understanding of “the grave military, economic and ideological threat posed by the CCP,” Moolenaar would take over the mission of the committee and help “win the strategic competition between the United States and our nation’s foremost adversary, the Chinese Communist Party,” Gallagher said.
Moolenaar met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) when she made a stopover in California on the way back from a trip to Guatemala and Belize in April last year.
Tsai’s bipartisan meetings with US lawmakers “have been crucial for the relationship between Taiwan and the United States,” Moolenaar said at the time, adding that Taiwanese “are strong partners for peace, stability and economic growth.”
When he joined the delegation led by Gallagher to Taiwan last month, he called the nation a “tremendous ally” and an important economic partner of the US.
“Sadly, the people of Taiwan face daily harassment and intimidation from the Chinese Communist Party,” he said, adding that the delegation wanted to learn more about “how the American and Taiwanese people can strengthen our alliance against the CCP’s aggression.”