The senior US Navy officer in the Pacific region has spoken out in support of US-Taiwan relations in a statement made to the House Armed Forces Committee
Taiwan News
Date: 2018/02/17
By: David Spencer, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US Congress has been told by a senior US military officer
Admiral Harry Harris Jr. (By Wikimedia Commons)
that the country must continue to help Taiwan defend itself and push back at any efforts by China to force unification with Taiwan.
The comments were made by Admiral Harry Harris Jr, who is Commander of the US U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) and as such responsible for US Navy efforts to ensure that international freedom of navigation remains in the South China Sea despite the efforts of China to unilaterally claim the waters as their own.
Admiral Harris was addressing a hearing of the House Armed Forces Committee on the current policies and security challenges that the US were facing in the Pacific region and took the opportunity to highlight the close relations between the USA and Taiwan, despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations.
He noted that Taiwan’s free market economy and vibrant democracy “reflect the shared values between Taiwan and the U.S.” He continued, saying “we maintain a substantive and robust relationship with the people of Taiwan based on the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979.” [FULL STORY]