The US is redoubling its support for the self-defense capabilities of Taiwan and other partners to counter the threat to regional stability posed by China’s rise, US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins said on Thursday at a hearing of the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The US Department of State and the US Department of Defense routinely exercise leadership and engage in discussions with allies and partners to improve diplomatic, informational, military and economic apparatus used to stabilize the Indo-Pacific region, Jenkins said.
Washington additionally conducts long-term defense and security aid programs to support the conventional military powers of allies in the region, she said.
Photo: screen grab from the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs’ Web site
“Be it the Republic of [South] Korea, Japan, Taiwan or the Philippines, we continue to ensure stability in the region by investing in our allies’ and partners’ capabilities to defend themselves,” Jenkins said.
The US Congress last month passed a US$95 billion aid package for Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, which US President Joe Biden signed into law.
The package included a US$8.1 billion fund to supplement Indo-Pacific security, a US$2 billion foreign military financing fund, a US$1.9 billion fund for backfilling weapon systems diverted to Ukraine from other allies and a US$542 million budget for the use of the US Indo-Pacific Command.
In other developments, US senators across party lines on Thursday proposed a resolution to reject China’s mischaracterization of UN Resolution 2758, saying Beijing’s claim of sovereignty over Taiwan based on the resolution is not accepted by the world.
US Senator Jim Risch, a ranking Republican member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, proposed the resolution, reaffirming that the “one China policy” of the US is not equivalent to the “one China principle” of the Chinese Communist Party.
“The passage of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 in 1971 does not mean the world accepts China’s claimed sovereignty over Taiwan. Moreover, the United States’ ‘one China policy’ is not the same as China’s ‘one China principle,’” Risch said in a statement.
“Chinese leaders know this, but spread this propaganda to deny Taiwan’s ability to engage with international organizations. This resolution sets the record straight. The United States can and should push back on China’s false narratives at every opportunity,” the statement said.
Resolution 2758 was adopted by the 26th UN General Assembly in 1971 to solve the issue of China’s representation at the UN. It ultimately led to the Republic of China withdrawing from the UN and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) taking its place.
The resolution passed on Oct. 25, 1971, recognizes the PRC as the “only lawful representative of China.”
However, Taiwan and US governments have repeatedly argued that the resolution does not mention Taiwan, does not state that Taiwan is part of the PRC and does not explicitly authorize Beijing to represent Taiwan at the UN.
According to the seven-page resolution introduced by the two US senators, China has weaponized UN Resolution 2758 and the “one China principle” to isolate Taiwan and prevent the nation’s meaningful participation at the UN, UN-affiliated agencies and other international organizations.
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