Chinese threats and coercion increase the need for the US to help Taiwan maintain a credible self-defense, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink said yesterday.
The US has a rock solid commitment to assist Taiwan, the top US diplomat for Asia said in Singapore.
“As the threat and coercion from the People’s Republic of China increases, I think we need to respond as well in an appropriate way,” Kritenbrink told reporters during a trip to Southeast Asia, citing support over self-defense and trade.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“We intend to live up to our obligations, our rock solid obligations and commitments,” he said.
In Washington, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that the US is committed to upholding the freedom, security and human rights of the people of Taiwan.
In a letter sent to Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃), Pelosi also wished Taiwan success in holding the two-day Open Parliament Forum in Taipei.
In the letter, which was addressed to You using his formal title of “president of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan),” Pelosi said that collaboration between governments on COVID-19 pandemic response and promotion of democratic parliaments were “essential as we strive to advance our shared values and interests.”
The “Open Parliament in a Post-COVID Context: Global Examples of Resilience and Planning for 2022 and Beyond” forum was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Legislative Yuan and the National Democratic Institute, a Washington-headquartered nonprofit.
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