Taipei: The US wants to deepen its relationship with Taiwan, the powerful island itself which has become the main point of conflict in the tense US-Chinese relationship, and will work against the influence of “slander” Beijing, a US official said.
In his first public press conference, Sandra Oudkirk, the new director of the American Institute in Taiwan, the Embassy of the De Facto, reaffirmed official lines that the US remained very committed to Taiwan and actively worked on the cybersecurity field and active supply chains.
“Our partnership value and our support for Taiwan are solid stones,” said Oudkirk.
“We are committed to deepening our relationship with Taiwan.” US support for Taiwan came as tension between China and the island now at the highest at decades, with Beijing enhancing its military palace by flying a combat jet towards Taiwan.
China has not ruled out the power to reunite with Taiwan, which separated from the land during the civil war in 1949.
The US changed diplomatic recognition of China from the government of the nationalist party in Taipei to the Communist Party in Beijing in 1979, but continued to maintain a relationship that did not A strong official with its own ruled island.
Oudkirk refused to comment on any security initiatives or gave details about the existence of US forces on the island, after Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen confirmed Thursday that our boots were indeed on the ground, even though they would think of people.
“We will continue to advance the global and regional goals of Biden administration, including against the influence of the PRC defamatory, recovering from the impact of devastating pandemics and overcoming the threat of climate change,” Oudkirk said.
Washington has supported Taiwan with weapons sales to improve the island capabilities to defend themselves, and also routinely navigate waters around the island in what he calls freedom of operation.
Oudkirk, who became the director during the summer, also reaffirmed that the US would support Taiwan in his role in the international stage, without providing details.
US Secretary Antony Blinken on Tuesday called on other members of the United Nations to support Taipei’s independent participation in international organizations related to transportation, health, climate change, culture and education.
Taiwan, for example, is not a member of the World Health Organization.
The main new focus of the As-Taiwan relationship is on the supply chain in the midst of the global crisis on a computer chip known to be semi-conductor.
Taiwan is home to TSMC or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc., which is the largest contract manufacturer of processor chips in the world.
The chips are used in all things ranging from smartphones, medical equipment, to computer games.
In recent weeks, local media reported that Taiwanese companies were worried about the request of information from the US Trade Department to chip makers on potentially sensitive information such as inventory, production and top customers.
TSMC, for example, serves clients in China and also throughout the world.
“I have emphasized that the Commerce Department’s information request recently is that, it is a request,” Oudkirk said in response to that concern, saying it was voluntary.
US to deepen relations with Taiwan in the face of Chinese tensions
