US Secretary of Defense James Mattis reaffirmed the US’ commitment to providing Taiwan with defensive weapons.
His comments during an Asia security dialogue in Singapore yesterday were welcomed by Taiwan, but sparked opposition from China.
The US remains committed to improving cooperation with its allies in the region and plans to also continue to engage closely with its partners in an effort to address security challenges in the Asia-Pacific, Mattis said in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue held by the International Institute for Strategic Studies from Friday through today.
The annual defense summit brings together ministers and delegates from more than 50 nations to discuss security challenges and opportunities.
Mattis said: “The [US] Department of Defense remains steadfastly committed to working with Taiwan and with its democratic government” to provide it with necessary defensive articles, which is consistent with the US’ obligation as set out in the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
The US Congress in 1979 enacted the TRA to maintain commercial, cultural and other unofficial relations between the US and Taiwan after Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
The act requires the US “to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character.”
A participant from China asked Mattis if there had been any change to the US’ “one China” policy, saying that it was unusual for the US to express its intentions to strengthen defense links with Taiwan on such an occasion.
Mattis said that the US is committed to the “one China” policy and there has been no adjustment.
“We believe in a peaceful resolution of the situation between China and Taiwan,” he said. “That’s where we have stood for some years and the ‘one China’ policy holds.”
Mattis’ remarks signal that “Taiwan is still an important regional security partner,” said academic and former minister of defense Andrew Yang (楊念祖), who participated in the conference.
In Taipei, Presidential Office spokesman Sidney Lin (林鶴明) expressed gratitude for the US government’s commitment to the TRA and welcomed the strengthening of exchanges between Taiwan and the US in all areas.
At a news conference yesterday in Singapore, Lieutenant General He Lei (何雷), deputy president of China’s PLA Academy of Military Science, said the Chinese government is firmly opposed to any US arms sales to Taiwan.
He is the head of the Chinese delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue.
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