The US on Tuesday reiterated that it is interested in continued peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and is opposed to changes to the “status quo” by either side.
The US would not want to see either Taiwan or China make any moves that would be considered destabilizing, US Acting Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton told a foreign press briefing on the US-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue that was held on Wednesday in Washington.
In response to questions on whether Taiwan issues would be discussed at the meeting, Thornton said that the topic is expected to be raised, as has been the case in similar discussions between Washington and Beijing.
US officials are to say “we are very much interested in the continued stability and peace in the cross-strait area” to their Chinese counterparts if the Taiwan issue comes up, Thornton said.
The US also wants to stress the importance of continued dialogue between the two sides of the strait to avoid any increase in tensions, she said, adding: “We think it’s very important to have open lines of communication.”
The US does not want to see either side of the strait do anything that would be considered destabilizing, so “in that sense, we’ve always been opposed to changes in the status quo by either side,” she said.
The US remains committed to its “one China” policy, she said, adding: “We’ll make clear that we remain faithful to those commitments [to the Taiwan Relations Act] as well.”
The Taiwan Relations Act was enacted in 1979 by the US Congress to maintain commercial, cultural and other unofficial relations between the US and Taiwan after Washington switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing.
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