Washington on Monday announced the establishment of a new bilateral economic dialog with Taipei in a bid to strengthen their bilateral relations.<\/p>\n\n
The US also said it had declassified six security assurances given to Taiwan under the administration of former US president Ronald Reagan in the\u00a01980s. They include statements that the US has not set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan, nor agreed to prior consultation with Beijing on such sales.<\/p>\n\n
The State Department\u2019s top diplomat for East Asia, David Stilwell, claimed the latest moves were not a policy shift but were part of a set of \u201csignificant adjustments\u201d within Washington\u2019s \u201cOne China\u201d policy.<\/p>\n\n
China considers the self-ruled island as a breakaway province that should be reunited with the mainland under the internationally-recognized \u201cOne China\u201d policy. Almost all world countries, including the US, recognize that sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n
Under that policy, countries are not allowed to have formal relations with Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n
Speaking at a virtual forum hosted by the conservative Heritage Foundation, Stilwell attributed the latest measures to the \u201cincreasing threat posed by Beijing to peace and stability\u201d and China\u2019s attempts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cWe will continue to help Taipei resist the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s campaign to pressure, intimidate, and marginalize Taiwan,\u201d Stilwell said.<\/p>\n\n
The announcements come amid a widening rift between Washington and Beijing over a litany of political and economic issues.<\/p>\n\n
Taiwan\u2019s Foreign Ministry thanked the US for the moves, and vowed to continue to strengthen its defense capabilities.<\/p>\n\n
Although Washington has no formal relations with Taipei, it is the island\u2019s largest weapons supplier and an avid backer of Taiwan\u2019s secessionist president.<\/p>\n\n
China said nobody should underestimate its resolve to defend its sovereignty, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying calling on the US to stop promoting its ties with Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n
Last week, Taiwan\u2019s president Tsai Ing-wen unveiled a US-backed maintenance hub for upgraded F-16 fighters, saying the hub marked a milestone in her years-long drive to build up the island\u2019s defense industry.<\/p>\n\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
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