U.S. Department of State official Keith Krach is currently visiting Taiwan. He has met with many high-ranking officials, including Premier Su, to pave the way for future dialogues.


U.S. Department of State Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach arrived in Taiwan on Sept. 17. His itinerary did not include the U.S.-Taiwan economic and commercial dialogue as expected. However, he and Assistant Secretary for Global Markets and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service Global Markets Ian Steff from the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration received Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin, Economic Affairs Minister Wang Mei-hua, and Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Wu at their hotel on Sept. 18 to discuss trade issues including U.S.-Taiwan supply chains and pave the way for the dialogue.

(Why was everything so low-key? Will what was discussed be made public?) Thank you everyone.

Krach had lunch with business representatives, visited with Wu and Premier Su Tseng-chang in the afternoon, and held a dialogue on democracy. President Tsai Ing-wen received the American delegation at her official residence for dinner. Meanwhile, U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany introduced legislation calling for the U.S. to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan and end the "outdated" one China policy. The bill also directed the U.S. administration to support Taiwan's membership in international organizations and to initiate negotiations on a free trade agreement. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Republican Senator Ted Cruz demanded that the State Department amend limits on interaction with Taiwan and for the assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs to support Taiwan in resisting the Chinese threat.

You have an undersecretary in State Department in Taiwan right now. I believe what we are doing is definitely in alignment with your interests as well, is to support Taiwan and to make sure that they have the ability to resist coercion by the Chinese.

This is the Republic of China Air Force. To the People's Liberation Army aircraft located at an altitude of 7,500 meters in Taiwan's southwestern airspace, you have already entered our air defense identification zone and are affecting our flight safety. Turn around and leave immediately.

During Krach's visit, however, Chinese Air Force jets intruded into Taiwan's airspace in an apparent protest. On Sept. 18 and within the span of one hour, the People's Liberation Army repeatedly sent aircraft into Taiwan's southwestern, western, northern, and northwestern airspace. The Air Force issued at least 16 broadcasts to order the planes to leave. It also said "you are approaching our airspace," which is not often said. The Ministry of National Defense has not commented.



美國國務院次卿柯拉克17號抵台，雖然行程沒有原先預計的台美經濟商業對話，不過18號上午柯拉克與商務部助理部長史宜恩，在下榻飯店與行政院副院長沈榮津、經濟部長王美花等，外交部長吳釗燮等人，針對台美供應鏈等經貿議題進行討論，為未來的經濟高階對話先展開"前期對話"。

外交部長 吳釗燮：「（為什麼這麼低調？要談什麼會公開嗎？) 謝謝大家！」

柯拉克中午也會與台灣企業界代表進行午宴，下午則將拜會外交部長吳釗燮與行政院長蘇貞昌，也會舉行台美民主對話，晚上總統蔡英文更將在官邸宴請美國訪團。而就在柯拉克訪台期間，美國聯邦眾議員帝芬尼提出決議案，呼籲美國恢復與台灣正式邦交關係，並終結過時的「一中政策」。
決議案也指示美國行政部門，支持台灣國際參與並洽簽FTA。共和黨籍參議員克魯茲，也在美國參議院外委會聽證會上要求國務院修正對台交往限制，亞太助卿史達偉更要支持台灣力抗中國威脅。

美國國務院亞太助卿 史達偉表示：「美國務院次卿，現在人也在台灣，我相信我們正在做的事，與(克魯茲)議員，你的利益一致。那就是支持台灣，並確保其有能力，抵抗中國脅迫。」

空軍廣播表示：「中華民國空軍廣播，位於台灣西南空域，高度7500公尺的中共軍機注意。你已進入我空域，影響我飛航安全，立即迴轉脫離。」

柯拉克訪台期間，共軍軍機被爆試圖接近我領空，18號一早在1小時內，頻頻派軍機出現在在我西南空域、西部空域、北部空域及西北空域，而我軍方則連發至少16次廣播驅離，並罕見喊出「接近我領空」，對此，國防部還沒有正式回應。