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U.S. defense link with Taiwan aligned against China threat: Pentagon

ROC Central News Agency

10/08/2021 12:18 PM

Washington, Oct. 7 (CNA) The Pentagon said Thursday that the United States' defense relationship with Taiwan is guided by the island's defense needs and the threat posed by China.

Pentagon Spokesman John Supple made the remarks in response to a Wall Street Journal report that said a U.S. special-operations unit and a contingent of Marines have been secretly training military forces in Taiwan to help shore up the country's defenses, as concerns mount over potential Chinese aggression.

Supple declined to comment on the specifics of the report, but he said that the U.S.' support for Taiwan remains "strong, principled, and bipartisan," in line with his country's one-China policy and longstanding commitments, as stated in the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances.

"Our support for and defense relationship with Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People's Republic of China," he said.

The U.S will continue to support the peaceful resolution of cross-Taiwan Strait issues, consistent with the wishes and best interests of the people on both sides, Supple said.

"The United States has an abiding interest in the peace, security, and stability of the Indo-Pacific - including in the Taiwan Strait," he said.

Supple said the U.S. has urged China to honor its commitment to the peaceful resolution of differences across the Taiwan Strait, as delineated in the three communiques.

"The PRC has stepped up efforts to intimidate and pressure Taiwan and other allies and partners, including increasing military activities conducted in the vicinity of Taiwan, East China Sea, and South China Sea, which we believe are destabilizing and increase the risk of miscalculation," he said.

Meanwhile, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told the BBC in a report published Friday that the U.S. is "deeply concerned" about actions that undermine peace across the Taiwan Strait and will "stand up and speak out" when it sees activities that are destabilizing.

When asked by the BBC whether the U.S. was prepared to take military action to defend Taiwan, Sullivan said the U.S. is going to "take action now to try to prevent that day from ever coming to pass."

(By Chiang Chin-yeh and Lee Hsin-Yin)

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