By Kelvin Chen, Staff Writer — Taiwan News, 9 December 2021
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink has affirmed Washington’s continued public support for Taiwan and said The US will work with Taiwan to expand its contributions to the global community. During a Senate Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Tuesday to discuss the future of US policy toward Taiwan, Kritenbrink praised the East Asian nation as a democratic, technological powerhouse and “a force for good.”
He said shared values and close people-to-people relations are part of the solid foundation of the bilateral partnership. “The US has and will continue to make available to Taiwan the defense articles and services necessary to enable it to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act.” He noted that The US has sold more than US$32 billion worth of arms to Taiwan since 2009, but said weapons alone do not guarantee Taiwan’s ability to fend off a Chinese attack.
The official said The US must work with like-minded countries to solidify Taiwan’s reputation as “a respected and constructive democratic actor in international affairs” and to preserve Taiwan’s international space. He emphasised that this is essential to preserving the status quo and denying China its ability to promote its unification campaign on the world stage. Kritenbrink said Washington has “publicly and privately urged the PRC to abide by its commitment to peacefully resolve cross-Strait issues and to engage Taiwan in a meaningful dialogue to de-escalate tensions.” He noted that global support is vital to showing China that Taiwan is “a matter of great consequence and importance” to the global community and economy, concluding: “Our relationship with Taiwan is truly ‘rock solid.’”