With the upcoming U.S. election, members of Congress attended the National Day celebration of the Republic of China in Los Angeles and discussed the impact of the presidential election on Taiwan-U.S. relations. Regardless of party affiliation, they believe that the support for Taiwan in the U.S. Congress is strong, and the Taiwan-U.S. relationship will continue to be solid and stable.
According to reports by the Central News Agency, as the National Day of the Republic of China approached, the office in Los Angeles held a National Day celebration on the 4th. U.S. Federal Representatives Judy Chu, Young Kim, California State Assembly Member Mike Fong, and several Consul Generals in Los Angeles attended the event.
Judy Chu, a Democrat and the chairperson of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, responded to questions from the Central News Agency about the impact of the U.S. presidential election in November on Taiwan-U.S. relations. She expressed confidence that Vice President Kamala Harris will maintain a strong relationship between Taiwan and the U.S.
Chu voiced her support for the Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, stating, “Kamala Harris will continue our longstanding path of maintaining a good relationship with Taiwan to ensure that Taiwan is not threatened by other countries.”
When asked by a Central News Agency reporter about who would be the best presidential candidate for Taiwan-U.S. relations, Republican Young Kim did not mention the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump. She stated that she wouldn’t predict the outcome of the November election, but regardless of who wins the presidency, Congress’s support for Taiwan has always been strong.
Young Kim, serving as the chair of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has visited Taiwan twice and met with President Tsai Ing-wen in May this year.
She emphasized that regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, the U.S. commitment to freedom and openness in the Indo-Pacific region will continue. Any future president entering the White House will collaborate with the House of Representatives and the Senate to continue providing the necessary support to Taiwan.
Despite being from different parties, Judy Chu echoed Young Kim’s statement about the U.S. Congress’s support for Taiwan. Chu said, “Taiwan receives strong support from both parties in the U.S., which always impresses me. Whenever there is a vote on Taiwan-U.S. relations in the House of Representatives, the number of votes supporting Taiwan usually reaches as high as 400 out of the 435 seats.”
Young Kim stated that she and her colleagues in Congress continue to stand with Taiwan. “China always tries to expand its ambitions, harm Taiwan, and is ambitiously aiming to take over Taiwan. We must show our firm determination, stand with our ally Taiwan, and provide the deterrent force that Taiwan needs.”