After Biden made comments on China’s Xi Jinping, Taiwan called the U.S. commitment “rock solid.”

Washington/Taipei (Reuters)-Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that Washington had assured them that on the day after President Joe Biden stated that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to abide by the “Taiwan Agreement”, Taiwan’s attitude towards Taiwan No change. “

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it has sought U.S. clarification on Biden’s remarks and promised that its commitment to Taiwan is “rock solid” and Washington will continue to help Taiwan maintain its defense.

“Faced with the military, diplomatic, and economic threats of the Chinese government, Taiwan and the United States have always maintained close and open channels of communication,” it said.

In the comments on Tuesday night, Biden appeared to be referring to a 90-minute call https://www.reuters.com/world/china/biden-chinas-xi-discuss-managing-competition-avoiding-conflict-call-2021 -09-10 He held talks with Xi Jinping on September 9 and Washington officially recognized Beijing’s long-term policy instead of Taipei, and the Taiwan Relations Law.

“I have discussed the Taiwan issue with Xi Jinping. We agree…We will abide by the Taiwan agreement,” Biden told reporters. “We made it clear that I don’t think he should do anything except abide by the agreement.”

These comments prompted Taiwanese officials to seek to explain Biden’s signal at a time of high tension between Taipei and Beijing. A Taiwanese official sent a message to a Reuters reporter and asked Biden what he meant.

Taiwan’s Defense Minister Qiu Guocheng was asked by reporters in Congress whether there was any further information about Biden’s remarks. He said he “don’t know”.

In Paris, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Brinken reiterated on Wednesday that the U.S.’s commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and that they expressed concern about China’s provocative military activities in the region.

The story goes on

China claims that Taiwan is its own territory, which should be seized by force when necessary. Taiwan claims that it is an independent country and will defend its freedom and democracy.

In the past year, Beijing has substantially increased its military flights into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.

Taiwan reported 148 Chinese Air Force aircraft in the southern and southwestern parts of its air defense zone in the four days that began on Friday. The same day China marked an important patriotic holiday, the National Day.

The “Taiwan Relations Act” clearly stated that the United States’ decision to transfer official diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in 1979 was based on the expectation that Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means in the future.

Although the bill binds the United States to provide Taiwan with means of self-defense, Washington recognizes China’s position that Taiwan belongs to it and is “one China” and does not hold any position on Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Biden’s national security adviser Jack Sullivan and China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi began talks in Switzerland on Wednesday to improve communication, even though strategic competition and tensions in hotspots, including Taiwan, are increasing.

Biden’s call with Xi Jinping in September marked their first meeting in seven months.

Under Xi Jinping’s leadership, China has become more and more nationalistic and self-confident. He is ready to break the precedent and ensure a third five-year term next year. He is widely regarded as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.

Beijing has also made territorial claims in the South China Sea and is committed to the rapid modernization of its military. The suppression of Hong Kong was once considered a possible model for the “one country, two systems” arrangement in which Taiwan and China joined peacefully, but if Beijing fulfills its promise to reunify Taiwan, it is more likely to adopt a military solution. With the mainland.

Bonnie Glaser, an expert on Taiwan from the German Marshall Foundation, said that the surge in military activity was “destabilizing but not shocking” and “undidly to intimidate Taiwan.”

US State Department spokesman Ned Price on Sunday urged China to stop military activities near Taiwan.

Price said in a statement: “The United States is very concerned about the provocative military activities of the People’s Republic of China near Taiwan. This destabilizes, risks misjudgment, and undermines regional peace and stability.”

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Jeff Mason in Washington; writing by Trevor Hennicourt; installation and editing by Sonya Hepp)