The spokesperson for the US State Department, Ned Price, says the United States is working to deepen its ties with Taiwan. He said that’s in light of Taiwan’s economic and security partnership with Washington and also because Taiwan is a leader in democracy.
Price made the statement on Thursday when asked about a meeting the day before between Taiwan’s envoy to the US, Hsiao Bi-khim, and State Department official Sung Kim. Kim is the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian & Pacific Affairs.
The meeting is being seen as especially significant because of where it took place: inside the State Department building.
Until recently, the US scheduled meetings with Taiwanese representatives in low-key, unofficial venues to avoid offending Beijing. This is the first meeting between Taiwanese and US officials to take place in the building since US President Joe Biden took office on January 20. The choice to hold the meeting in the State Department building is being seen in Taiwan as a sign that US-Taiwan ties will continue moving forward under the Biden administration.
In related news, the Presidential Office thanked US President Joe Biden on Wednesday for his concerns about both security in the Taiwan Strait and human rights issues. Biden expressed his concerns during a phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday.