The US is committed to providing Taiwan with defensive material and helping its self-defense abilities. That was the word from the US Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby on Monday at a news briefing.
US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga highlighted the importance of cross-strait peace in their joint statement after their summit on April 16. Their statement said, "We underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues." It was the first mention of Taiwan in a joint US-Japan statement since 1969.
When asked about how the US and Japan should cooperate to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait, Kirby said, "We remain committed, as we have for multiple administrations, to aiding Taiwan in its self-defense, to providing material for them to defend themselves.”
When asked by Japanese Nippon Television about the possibility of formulating a joint operation plan or holding joint exercises to prepare for a potential confrontation in the Strait, Kirby said he would not speculate on this issue. Instead, he reiterated support for the one-China policy and said "nobody wants to see things come to blows over Taiwan."
During the briefing, Kirby also noted that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made his first overseas trip to Asia and his first stop was Tokyo. He said the trip gave him a chance to learn more about the region from the Japanese perspective and reaffirm the US’s commitment to its obligations and its assistance in the defense of Japan under the US-Japan Security Treaty.
Kirby said that the US will also continue to work with Japan's Self-Defense Forces to improve their collective capabilities given the threats across the region, including the threats from North Korea.