The US is standing firm with Taiwan, and it’s making that point very clear

editor

5 years ago

CNN
Date: September 3, 2020
By: Brad Lendon, CNN

TAIWAN STRAIT (Aug. 30, 2020) The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) conducts a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait. Halsey is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Andrew Langholf)

Hong Kong (CNN)When a United States guided missile destroyer sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, it marked the second such transit in less than two weeks — and among the clearest signals yet of Washington's willingness to stand up for Taiwan in the face of Chinese aggression.

On Monday, the US went further still, taking the cover off previously classified commitments it made to Taiwan during the Reagan administration. Known as the Six Assurances, they spell out how US arms sales and diplomatic support to Taipei will move forward without regard to pressure from Beijing.

Though the US has remained a decades-long ally of Taiwan following the island's split from mainland China in the wake of a civil war, policymakers in Washington have traditionally refrained from overt displays of support.

China continues to view the self-governing democracy of almost 24 million people as an inseparable part of its territory, and has vowed to unify the island with the mainland.
[FULL STORY]

Share this: