By Aamer Madhani — AP News, Tuesday 16 November 2021
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joseph Biden said on Tuesday that he made clear to China’s Xi Jinping that his administration stands firmly behind The United States’ longstanding “One China” policy, but he also noted that the self-ruled island of Taiwan ultimately makes its own decisions. White House officials said the two leaders spoke extensively about Taiwan during their more than three-hour virtual meeting one day earlier.
Tensions have heightened as China has dispatched a growing number of fighter jets toward the island, while The US and its allies sail warships through the Taiwan Strait. But Biden on Tuesday sought to underscore his support for the Taiwan Relations Act, which went into effect in 1979. “We made very clear we support the Taiwan Act and that’s it. It’s independent. It makes its own decisions,” Biden told reporters while traveling in New Hampshire.
The United States’ “One China” policy recognizes Beijing as the government of China but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden reminded Xi during their virtual meeting that he voted as a senator for the Taiwan Relations Act: “So he understands deeply, firsthand, that the act makes clear that any effort to shape Taiwan’s future by other than peaceful means is of grave concern to the United States.” The two leaders also agreed to explore talks on arms control.
Taiwan Air Force Among World’s 15 Strongest — Taiwan News, 17 November 2021
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — With the commissioning of its first F-16V combat wing scheduled for Thursday 18 November, the Air Force says it is one of the top 15 in the world. Air Force Chief of Staff Huang Chih-wei told the Legislative Yuan that based on the more than 300 fighter jets it now operates, Taiwan’s Air Force can count itself among the world’s 15 strongest. Taiwan has been in the process of upgrading 141 F-16A/B jets to F-16V status, with 64 already completed, and has placed an order for 66 new F-16Vs. The first combat wing of the newly upgraded fighters was officially commissioned at the Chiayi Air Force Base in the presence of President Tsai Ing-wen.