The US welcomes a warming of cross-strait ties and will support President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) continued efforts to advance relations with China in his second term, a White House official said on Wednesday.
Washington also hopes for a continued strong partnership on US-Taiwan relations, US Deputy Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said, describing the relationship between the two sides as “positive” over the last several years.
“So I think we’re optimistic that we can continue to have a positive relationship with Taiwan in [Ma’s] second term,” Rhodes said in a press briefing on the G8 and NATO summits, responding to a question on the outlook for US-Taiwan relations during Ma’s second four-year term.
On arms sales to Taiwan, Rhodes said the US government always assesses the matter based on its long-standing security commitment to Taiwan.
“I can’t say exactly when we’ll make a decision on any potential future arms sales, but we’ll certainly be looking at it in the context of what’s necessary for us to fulfill those commitments,” he said.
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