Taipei, June 29 (CNA) The Presidential Office on Thursday expressed the government's appreciation to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee for attaching importance to Taiwan's defensive security and Taiwan-U.S. security relations, after the committee approved a provision that will allow U.S. naval vessels to make regular stops at Taiwanese ports.
Taiwan will continue to focus on defense investment and to strengthen its self-defense capabilities, said Sidney Lin, a spokesman for the office.
The provision was adopted by a 21-6 vote in the committee on Wednesday as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2018 and will now move to the full Senate for consideration.
It stipulates re-establishing "regular ports of call by the U.S. Navy at Kaohsiung or any other suitable ports in Taiwan" and permits "U.S. Pacific Command to receive ports of call by Taiwan," according to a summary of the bill.
It also directs the U.S. Department of Defense to "implement a program of technical assistance to support Taiwanese efforts to develop indigenous undersea warfare capabilities, including vehicles and sea mines."
However, observers of U.S.-Taiwan relations said that a decision in favor of mutual port calls would likely rest with the White House even if the language is included in the final version of the bill adopted by Congress.
