The US would seek to ensure that its competition with China does not escalate into conflict and affect stability in Taiwan as the US and Chinese presidents meet virtually today, Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said on Saturday.
The White House said that US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) would discuss ways to “responsibly manage the competition” between the two countries and how to work together where their interests align.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Taiwan could be one of the topics covered.
Photo: Reuters
Hsiao said that Taiwan has trust in the US and there is close communication between the two sides.
Taiwan’s understanding is that the meeting is about managing competition, she said, adding that as there are multiple layers of competition between the US and China, the US would aim to ensure that it does not escalate into conflict, and affect peace and stability in Taiwan.
The safety and security of Taiwan is an important and critical issue to the US and to other stakeholders in the region, she added.
In Taipei, Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesman Tsuei Ching-lin (崔靜麟) yesterday said that since Biden took office, his administration had on numerous occasions reiterated that its support for Taiwan was “rock solid,” which it has also demonstrated through numerous actions.
Tsuei thanked Washington for its support, and said that Taiwan would continue to strengthen its defensive capabilities to safeguard its freedoms and democracy.
It would also continue to cooperate with the US and other countries to promote peace in the Asia-Pacific region, he said.
In other news, Hsiao was on Saturday asked whether a referendum next month aimed at overturning a decision by the government to allow the importation of pork containing traces of the feed additive ractopamine would affect Taiwan-US relations if it passes.
She said that whether Taiwan’s trade policy was consistent with international standards and based on scientific evidence was an issue that “the US has been concerned about for many years.”
Additional reporting by Lu Yi-hsuan
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