Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/02/23
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – An article published by the New York Times on Thursday explains

The photo shows Senator Inhofe and delegation visit Taiwan Army Aviation and Special Operations Command (Credit: James M. Inhofe’s official site)

the rationale for mounting actions in the White House that appear to favor Taiwan as a response to China’s increased bullying of the island country and its neighbors, which threatens the balance of power.

It’s not saying the U.S. is exercising justice for the weak, but a sort of manifestation of growing concerns as Beijing has become “more aggressive and intent on expanding its influence globally” and Washington has to balance its power, cautiously, by strengthening ties with Taiwan, which is known for its role in a U.S.-friendly  East Asian geopolitical block and its strategic importance in the Asia-Pacific region.

The article puts together several events happening recently as evidence of warmer ties between Washington and Taipei, including the advancement of a bill in the U.S. Senate aimed to promote visits to Taiwan by warships and by civilian officials at all levels, a gathering of defense contractors scheduled for May, the visit to Taiwan of a delegation led by senior Republican Senator James Inhofe, who met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen during the visit, and the upcoming inauguration of a new complex owned by the de-facto U.S. embassy on the island, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). A senior American official is believed to be planning to attend its opening ceremony.    [FULL  STORY]