The US has reaffirmed its commitment to meet Taiwan’s defense needs according to the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), but the US’s One-China Policy remains unchanged. That’s the word from US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby on Monday.
Kirby’s statement came as Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are set to meet on Wednesday. Kirby said that he expects the two defense chiefs to discuss the war in Ukraine, the two sides’ assistance to Ukraine, and tensions with China.
He also cited Secretary Austin’s remarks before the US House Armed Services Committee in early April. At the committee, the defense secretary said that direct comparisons between the situations in Ukraine and Taiwan are inappropriate.
Kirby reiterated that the US’s One China Policy has not changed, and that the United States will continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense according to the TRA.
The TRA commits Washington to giving Taiwan “arms of a defensive character” while maintaining its own ability to resist “any resort to force” against Taiwan.