Latest news with #BipartisanSupport
Wall Street Journal
5 days ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Trump Can Launch the Aukus Security Agreement to the Stars
Time has borne out what I said to President Trump on the White House South Lawn in September 2019: While Australia may look to the U.S. as a vital ally, we will never leave it to America alone to deal with security issues. In that spirit, in early 2020 as prime minister I assigned a small team to engage Washington about the possibility of Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarine technology. Two years later the Aukus agreement among Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. was born, amid bipartisan support in all three nations. Now, it's time for Aukus to grow, and Mr. Trump is the right person for the job. Aukus is a platform for collective deterrence against an axis of autocratic regimes threatening global and regional security, especially in the Indo-Pacific. The agreement's first pillar enables Australia's acquisition of its first nuclear-powered sub fleet. Its second pillar facilitates cooperation on advanced military capabilities, from quantum computing to hypersonic missiles. The Chinese Communist Party opposed Aukus vehemently—confirming its strategic value.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Trump's tariff ultimatum forces country to promise to buy more American goods
Taiwan has promised to buy more American goods after Trump threatened the island nation with a 32 percent tariff. Taiwan's president Lai Ching-te said last month that the country would buy more American natural gas and oil, weapons and agricultural goods. The self-governing island is looking to form closer ties with the US as it faces rising pressure from China, which has threatened to annex Taiwan by force if necessary. Lai said Taiwan's promises would help create 'more balanced bilateral trade' as well as boost its energy autonomy and resilience. Lai also told the US congressional delegation he was hosting that Taiwan would support America's efforts to reindustrialize and lead the world in AI. Taiwan had a trade deficit of $116.3 billion with the US last year, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. As a result Trump proposed a 32 percent tariff against the island, which is currently on hold except for a 10 percent baseline duty, while negotiations take place. It comes as Taiwan's exports jumped 87.4 percent to $15.5 billion in May, as companies fired off shipments before tariffs hit. Both figures are a record, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on Monday. Taiwan enjoys bipartisan support from the US, which sees providing Taipei with the means to defend itself against China as being in America's interest. Many politicians have argued that as well as arming Taiwan, close economic and trade ties with the US leave the island less vulnerable to economic coercion from Beijing. Taiwan's semiconductor giant TSMC recently invested $165 billion into building advanced chip factories in Arizona. The US is now the number one country for Taiwan's foreign investment and the island is the seventh largest importer of American agricultural goods. Trump first unveiled his 'reciprocal tariffs' on April 2, so-called 'liberation day.' The aggressive policies sent stocks sliding and caused a crisis in the bond market. Trump then backed down, bringing tariffs for most countries down to 10 percent while trade negotiations took place. The President then put the EU in his sights, threatening the bloc with a 50 percent tariff. He has since also put that threat on ice until July 9, and has said negotiations are going in a 'positive' direction. It comes as Trump declared a trade deal between the US and China 'done' on Wednesday. He said new rare earth minerals would be coming into the US from its top trade competitor. 'Our deal with China is done, subject to final approval with President Xi and me,' Trump posted on his social media site Truth Social on Wednesday morning. 'Full magnets, and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China.' Consumers are already beginning to feel the pinch from tariffs, with prices rising from grocery shelves to new cars. Toyota is the latest car manufacturer to warn that its popular products are about to become more expensive. Mark Templin, Toyota's chief operating officer for North America, said the company is planning price hikes in response to Trump's 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles and parts. Walmart has also confirmed that it will have to raise prices as a direct result of Trump's tariffs. The grocery giant — which imports 60 percent of its goods from China — said it is passing along the 'unprecedented' costs of Trump's trade war on to consumers.
Times of Oman
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
"Very strong support, understanding for our position": Congress MP Shashi Tharoor after meeting US lawmakers
Washington, DC: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading the all-party parliamentary delegation to the US, met with Bipartisan co-chairs Ro Khanna and Rich McCormick, as well as vice co-chairs Andy Barr and Marc Veasey, on Wednesday. Tharoor said that US Congressmen had very strong support and understanding for India's position on the Pahalgam terrorist attack and the events that followed. Speaking to reporters, Tharoor said that McCormick was very upbeat about the future of India-US ties, the economy and global strategic issues. After meeting Khanna, McCormick, Barr and Veasey, Tharoor said, "Mr McCormick is not only understanding of what we had to tell him, but he was very upbeat about the future of India-US relations across the board, the economy, global strategic issues, and so this particular problem we started off discussing was part of a much larger picture, which we are very excited to hear the kind of vision that the India Caucus chairs have for the future of our relationship." Tharoor also talked about the support received by the delegation from other Congressmen. He said, "A strong message from the other Congressmen who are also here, who just left the room. So, we've had very strong support and understanding for our position on this terrible, terrible tragedy (Pahalgam attack) and the events that followed. So, we're leaving this room very happy with the conversation." During the meeting with Ro Khanna, Rich McCormick, Andy Barr, and Marc Veasey, the parliamentary delegation briefed the Caucus members on the cross-border terrorism faced by India and India's strong and resolute stance against terrorism. The delegation led by Tharoor comprises Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum, reflecting India's vibrant and inclusive democratic character. The delegation comprises Sarfaraz Ahmad, Ganti Harish Madhur, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Tejasvi Surya, and former Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu. The Indian Embassy in the US said that Congressmen expressed strong support for India's right to respond to terrorism in the spirit of zero tolerance against terrorism. The Caucus members hailed the strong strategic partnership between India and the US. In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in the US stated, "Bipartisan co-chairs @RoKhanna & @RepMcCormick and vice co-chairs @RepAndyBarr & @RepVeasey of India Caucus in the House of Representatives met with the visiting Parliamentary delegation led by @ShashiTharoor today." "The parliamentary delegation briefed the Caucus members on the cross-border terrorism faced by India and India's strong and resolute stance in the fight against terror. The Congressmen expressed unequivocal and bipartisan condemnation for the terror attack in Pahalgam. They expressed support for India's right to respond to terrorism in the spirit of zero tolerance against terrorism. The Caucus members also hailed the strong strategic partnership between India and USA," it added. The all-party delegation led by Shashi Tharoor reached Washington DC earlier today to begin a two-day engagement with key US stakeholders. The Indian Embassy in the US posted on X from its official handle that the delegation will meet members of the US Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee. The delegation will also hold discussions with academicians from leading think tanks and various media outlets. The delegation is scheduled to speak at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, D.C., with the event being streamed live on the CFR website. Additionally, the delegation will interact with members of the Indian diaspora during their visit, further strengthening community ties. The delegation aims to brief key stakeholders in the US on Operation Sindoor, India's diplomatic initiative launched to counter terrorism and disinformation following recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. In a post on X, Tharoor described his journey to Washington as a "horrendous, three-stage overnight journey" from Brasilia via Sao Paulo and Panama, during which he managed only one and a half hours of sleep. Upon arrival, he was pleased to be greeted by two Indian-American police officers, Harmanpreet Singh and Hundal. Tharoor recorded an interview with CBS News at the Indian Embassy, followed by a briefing with Ambassador Vinay Kwatra and his team. The delegation reached the US after concluding their visit to Belgium.
