Joe Biden’s nominee for US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, says that the US needs to help Taiwan resist Chinese aggression. Those words came during Thomas-Greenfield’s Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
Thomas-Greenfield says the US should provide Taiwan with the necessary capabilities to “push against” efforts by China to compromise its security. When asked whether that includes weapons sales to Taiwan, she said that this is not her decision to make, but that the US will likely continue to provide Taiwan with arms. She also says that Taiwan is “one of the strongest democracies” in the Asia-Pacific region, and that the US should “support them as a democracy”.
Her words supporting Taiwan came in response to questions from Homeland Security Chair Ron Johnson.
Thomas-Greenfield previously served under the Obama administration as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. At that time she was the highest-ranking African-American woman in the US diplomatic service.