US President Joe Biden is likely to remain firm on the issue of Taiwan’s defense when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, today, US Senator Chris van Hollen said on Saturday.
Biden is likely to seek Xi’s cooperation on several issues, but on Taiwan, he is unlikely to negotiate, Van Hollen said at a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by the Taiwanese Association of America Greater Washington Chapter.
Xi’s appointment to a third term as president was worrying to all who are concerned about freedom, democracy and the rule of law, and Xi would likely seek to stay in office indefinitely, said Van Hollen, a Democratic Party senator from Maryland who was re-elected in the US midterms on Tuesday.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office via CNA
Biden has always been firm in his support of Taiwan’s defense, and opposes China’s aggression and bullying, he said, adding that the US Senate would promote provisions in a proposed Taiwan policy act that would bolster the nation’s defense.
Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), who also attended the dinner, said that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are in the interest of the whole world.
Taipei hopes that any US-China discussion about the Strait leads to regional security, stability and prosperity, she added.
Separately, former US vice chief of staff general John Keane on Friday said in an interview with Fox News that Taiwan was the most important issue on the agenda for Biden’s meeting with Xi.
Keane is chairman of the Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War.
Speaking on the issue of Xi’s consolidation of power after the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party last month, Keane said that “we believe that this means there will be more repression at home and more aggression abroad.”
Xi being granted a third term means that Biden must be unambiguous on the issue of Taiwan’s defense, he said.
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