Latest news with #AlexanderYui
Fox News
11-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Taiwan envoy urges congressional action, warns of rising China threat after meeting lawmakers
Taiwan's top envoy to the U.S. urged the Senate to ease tax burdens between the two countries and asked Congress to fast-track foreign military sales, following a closed-door lunch Wednesday with the House. Ambassador Alexander Tah-Ray Yui, Taipei's top representative in Washington, told Fox News Digital that he is encouraged that U.S. leaders recognize the urgent existential threat China poses, but emphasized the need to get weapons into the hands of the Taiwanese military more quickly and to address issues impeding two-way investment. "We appreciate the United States prioritizing Taiwan and helping us strengthen our defense capabilities," Yui said. "We're cheering on more military commitments to the states and [a] joint effort to speed up the delivery of the products that we bought." Yui called on the Senate to advance a stalled double taxation agreement, which has already cleared the House. "That's an important incentive for Taiwanese companies to come to the United States and invest – but also vice versa for U.S. companies to go to Taiwan," he said. "We are the only one of the large trading partners without this treatment, which is worrying for the whole country right now." By a vote of 423 to 1, the House last Congress passed the United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act, legislation that prevents double taxation on cross-border investments. The ambassador also offered a sobering assessment of China's increasingly belligerent posture in the Taiwan Strait and across the Indo-Pacific. "We are concerned," Yui said. "The [People's Liberation] Army and Navy are increasing their activities around Taiwan, harassing our territorial waters and airspace. These provocations are constant." While emphasizing that "we don't want war," he noted that the U.S. and regional partners have begun ramping up their own defenses, recognizing the threat. Rep. August Pfluger, who chairs the influential RSC, told Fox News Digital that the meeting was a show of solidarity with Taiwan's democratic government and a rebuke of China's authoritarian policies. "China is an existential threat to Taiwan," said Pfluger, a Texas Republican. "The difference between mainland China and Taiwan is how they treat human life. Taiwan values openness. China suppresses free speech, targets groups like the Uyghur Muslims – it's deeply concerning." The lunch meeting, attended by dozens of House Republicans, comes amid rising tensions in the region – but just as President Donald Trump announced a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping to ease the trade war. While Pfluger did not commit to further supplemental aid, he said he supports efforts by both nations to strengthen military readiness, including Taiwan's move to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP. "It stands to reason that Taiwan increasing their own internal spending on defense, as well as the U.S. recapitalizing our Navy and Air and Space Forces, is vitally important," he said. Asked what message Congress wants to send to the Taiwanese people, Pfluger was unequivocal: "We stand by them – as an ally, as a trading partner, as a democracy facing tyranny just next door." The conversation came at a time when U.S. military officials are warning China is readying for battle in the Indo-Pacific in an effort to "dominate" the region. "Beijing is preparing for war in the Indo-Pacific as part of its broader strategy to dominate that region and then the world," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress this week. He added that such an outcome could put the U.S. economy and its supply chains in a choke hold. "China is undertaking a historic military buildup and actively rehearsing for an invasion of Taiwan," he said. "These aggressive maneuvers are not routine exercises, they are rehearsals for a forced unification," Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added in his own testimony. Taiwan has recently renewed an effort to purge its ranks of Chinese sympathizers, indicting four people on Tuesday suspected of spying for China that had infiltrated the presidential office. Two Chinese aircraft carriers spotted conducting operations in the Pacific demonstrated the country's "expansionist" aims, Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo said Wednesday. "Crossing from the first island chain into the second island chain sends a definite political message and their expansionist nature can be seen," he told reporters in Taipei. The first island chain refers to the region from Japan to Taiwan and the Philippines to Borneo and the second island chain spreads farther into the Pacific, toward the U.S. territory of Guam.
Bloomberg
11-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Walmart US CEO Furner to Address Largest House GOP Caucus
Walmart US CEO John Furner will address a gathering of House Republicans in the Capitol on Wednesday, hours after President Donald Trump announced a trade framework with China has been completed. The meeting with the Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus in the House GOP conference, was confirmed by a person familiar with the gathering. Taiwan's top diplomat to the USA, Alexander Yui, is also expected to attend the midday lunch. Another person familiar with Furner's plans said he will also meet with Democrats to discuss Walmart's views on US manufacturing and small businesses.
Reuters
23-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Taiwan willing to buy more weapons, gas, agricultural goods, envoy to US says
April 23 (Reuters) - Taiwan is willing to buy more weapons, liquefied natural gas and agricultural products from American companies in order to reduce its $73 billion trade deficit with the United States, Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the U.S. said on Wednesday. In an interview with Fox News' "Special Report," Alexander Yui said negotiations with the U.S. on reducing tariffs on Taiwanese imports are "going well," and that Taiwan is ready to lower reciprocal tariffs, remove non-trade barriers and support increase investments by Taiwanese companies in the U.S.
AllAfrica
01-04-2025
- Business
- AllAfrica
Taiwan's new fighters struggle to close airpower gap with China
Taiwan's acquisition of upgraded F-16V fighters marks a significant step forward, but does little to close the yawning gap with China's rapidly modernizing air force. Last month, multiple news outlets reported that the US delivered the first of 66 F-16C/D Block 70 fighter jets to Taiwan, marking a significant milestone in a US$8 billion arms deal signed in 2019. The handover ceremony, held at Lockheed Martin's Greenville, South Carolina, factory, was attended by Taiwan's Deputy Defense Minister Po Horng-Huei and its representative to the US Alexander Yui. The jets, to be stationed at Zhihang Air Base, will equip the newly formed 7th Tactical Fighter Wing, which is tasked with bolstering the island's air defense amid growing threats from China. The Block 70 variant, the F-16V, features AN/APG-83 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, advanced electronic warfare systems, conformal fuel tanks and upgraded avionics. \ These enable the carrying of a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions, including the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon. Although the first delivered jet may temporarily lack its intended electronic warfare suite due to production delays, Taiwan plans to integrate the missing systems later. US officials highlighted the delivery as a demonstration of US commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act and the 'Six Assurances,' underscoring continued arms sales to Taipei despite China's opposition. Complete delivery of the 66 jets is expected by the end of 2026. Taiwan's new F-16V jets represent a significant improvement over its older F-16A/B fleet, which has also been upgraded to the V-standard. However, recent combat insights raise questions about their effectiveness against China's modern airpower. In a Defense Security Asia article last month, Yuriy Ignat, former spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force Command, noted that Ukraine's upgraded F-16 AM/BM fighters – mid-life improved versions similar to Taiwan's older models – have struggled against Russia's Su-35s due to inferior avionics, maneuverability and weapon systems. While Taiwan's F-16Vs feature more advanced radar and electronic warfare systems than Ukraine's F-16s, they could face a similar qualitative disadvantage against China's Su-35s and its growing fleet of J-20 stealth fighters. Likewise, Global Security notes that Taiwan's fleet of Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF) is underpowered and short-range, with speculation that US political pressure has prevented Taiwan from developing long-range fighters to avoid provoking China. Although Global Security suggests that Taiwan's IDFs may have been more advanced than any other combat aircraft China had at the time of their unveiling in the 1980s, China has since unveiled superior fighters. Further, Steve Balestrieri mentions in a February 2025 article for 1945 that China operates 24 Su-35s, bought from Russia ostensibly as a stopgap platform until China's J-20 stealth fighters were ready. Additionally, Maya Carlin mentions in an August 2023 article for 1945 that China has already produced 200-250 J-20 stealth fighters, marking a significant surge in production since the type was first unveiled in 2011. It is also unlikely that Taiwan will ever operate US stealth aircraft, such as the F-35. In a December 2021 Aviation Geek Club article, Zack Lu says that the US has zero expectation that Taiwan will hold out against a Chinese invasion. He notes any US military equipment sold to Taiwan will end up in China's hands if Taiwan capitulates. He mentions that all US military items sold to Taiwan are either older or current-generation systems, which are of little value to China when reverse-engineered. He says the F-35 is considered too cutting-edge to be compromised. In terms of sheer combat aircraft numbers, the US Department of Defense's 2024 China Military Power Report mentions that China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Aviation are the largest aviation forces in the Indo-Pacific and third-largest in the world, with 3,150 total aircraft, of which 2,400 are combat aircraft, with 1,900 fighters. Additionally, Admiral John Aquilino mentioned in a March 2024 US Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing that China will soon have the world's largest air force, following its current status as having the world's largest army and navy. Despite those disadvantages, Taiwan's new F-16V jets may offer the self-governing island a much-needed airpower boost. Shu Hsiao-Huang mentions in a Taipei Times article published last month that Taiwan's new F-16V jets are equipped with the General Electric F110 engine; these jets deliver 13,154.18 kilograms of thrust, surpassing the older F-16A/B models and enabling greater weapon-mounting capacity. Shu notes other advanced features, including the APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar, a helmet-mounted cueing system and an electronic warfare suite. He also says the jets boast a larger air intake and a US18E ejection seat. Further, Taiwan's new F-16V jets may be compatible with newer US munitions, significantly enhancing their effectiveness in standoff strikes. Last month, The War Zone reported that the US is integrating the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) onto F-16V fighters, significantly enhancing their anti-ship capabilities. The report states that the LRASM's stealth and adaptability surpass those of the older AGM-84 Harpoon, which Taiwan currently has, offering a range of up to 965 kilometers. However, Kitsch Liao mentions in a Newsweek article published ast month that an air-launched LRASM capability for Taiwan might not survive China's initial onslaught, rendering it useless to China's amphibious landing group. In line with that, Sebastian Roblin points out in a March 2020 article for The National Interest (TNI) that for Taiwan's outnumbered fighters to make any impact, they must get off the ground – a task that may be impossible given the 1,300 ballistic missiles and hundreds of sea, air, and land-based cruise missiles China can array against the self-governing island. While Roblin notes that Taiwan has hardened underground air bases, its fighters may be bottled up if the runways are destroyed. Though he says that Taiwan could use highways as makeshift runways, the tempo of such operations would be sporadic at best. However, the biggest challenge for Taiwan's airpower may not be the self-governing island's resource constraints but rather the inefficient US arms sales processes. In a War on the Rocks article from last month, Kevin Ting-Chen Sun and Howard Shen mention that late deliveries of F-16 jets from US defense companies critically undermine Taiwan's defense capabilities amid escalating regional tensions. Sun and Shen note that Taiwan's new F-16Vs faced delays due to pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, pushing the timeline to mid-2024. Compounding this issue, they point out that the F-16A/B upgrade program, which includes essential components such as electronic warfare pods and AGM-154C glide bombs, has been postponed from 2023 to 2026. They stress that these delays hinder Taiwan's air defense modernization, leaving its forces reliant on outdated systems and eroding public confidence in defense spending. They emphasize that systematic inefficiencies in US arms sales execution exacerbate Taiwan's vulnerability. In the end, Taiwan's F-16Vs may sharpen its defenses but without timely deliveries and an answer to China's overwhelming missile and airpower advantage, they risk becoming just another symbol of Taipei's shrinking military options.
Times of Oman
31-03-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
Taiwan receives first long-awaited F-16C/D Block 70 jets from US
Taipei: Taiwan on Friday received the first of its long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets from the US during a delivery ceremony held at Lockheed Martin's factory in the US's Greenville, South Carolina, Taipei Times reported on Sunday. According to Taipei Times, Taiwan's Deputy Minister of National Defence Po Horng-huei and Representative to the US Alexander Yui attended the event. US Representative William Timmons also expressed pride in supporting Taiwan's air defence capabilities, sharing a photo of the ceremony on X. "We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan's air defence capabilities," he said, taking to X as quoted by Taipei Times. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets delivered to Taiwan have similar capabilities to those of the F-16Vs after upgrades, as per the Taipei Times. The jets will be assigned to Taiwan's newly formed 7th Tactical Fighter Wing, which will focus on defending the eastern region of the island. In January, Taiwanese President William Lai noted that two of the three tactical groups in the wing had already been staffed and were awaiting the jets' arrival. Taipei Times reported that the F-16C/D Block 70 is expected to be the last version of Lockheed Martin's F-16, as the US and its allies transition to F-35 stealth fighters. Key features of the F-16C/D Block 70 jets include AN/APG-83 active electronically scanned arrays, AN/ALQ-254(V)1 all-digital electronic warfare suites, conformal fuel tanks, and upgraded mission computers, cockpits, and interface systems. The aircraft are capable of firing AIM-120 and AIM-9 air-to-air missiles and various ground attack munitions, such as anti-radiation missiles, GPS-guided bombs, and the long-range AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon glide bombs recently acquired by Taiwan. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence expressed gratitude to US government agencies for making the delivery possible and highlighted Washington's commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act and the "six assurances".
