The foreign ministry says it is pleased to see the United States continue to acknowledge how important the Pacific Islands are to US interests. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou was speaking on Thursday after US Vice President Kamala Harris gave a virtual address to the Pacific Islands Forum.
Harris’ speech promising new embassies and funding for the islands comes as the United States and China vie for influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Both the Solomon Islands and Kiribati have recently shifted diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China.
Ou says that Taiwan will continue to work closely with the US and other like-minded countries to jointly maintain peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
Ou also says that Taiwan has always shown concern for the long-term development of the region. She says Taiwan will continue to work closely with organizations such as the Pacific Islands Forum.