US to continue assisting Taiwan's self-defence capabilities: White House

Washington [US], March 9 : As Taiwan continues to remain at the forefront of the escalating tensions between the United States and China, the White House on Monday said that Washington will continue to contribute to Taiwan's self-defence capabilities.
"Our position on Taiwan remains clear. We will stand with friends and allies to advanced our shared prosperity, security and values. And in the Indo-Pacific region, we maintain our long-standing commitment," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in a press briefing.
"We maintain our long-standing commitments as outlined in the three communicates, the Taiwan Relations Act and the six assurances. We will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability. So our position remains the same," she added.
Sputnik citing an official reported that a State Department bilateral fact sheet stated the US and Taiwan enjoy an unofficial relationship, but Washington does not support the Island's independence.
A 1979 pact with China switched US diplomatic recognition to Beijing, although The Taiwan Relations Act, passed by Congress in that same year, allows Washington to support the island's defensive capabilities.
Deeming one-China policy as outdated and counter-productive, recently two United States congressmen have introduced a resolution calling for the US government to resume formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The bill, US Congress House Concurrent Resolution 21, was sponsored by US House representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry on February 26, Focus Taiwan reported. The resolution called US government to scrap the one-China policy.
The new resolution urged the US government to resume normal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement with Taiwan, and support Taiwan's membership in international organizations.
According to the texts of the bill, the "one China policy" is obsolete, does not serve the people of Taiwan or the US and fails to reflect the reality that Taiwan has been a sovereign and independent country for over 70 years.
It also said Beijing has weaponised the "one China policy" to block Taiwan's membership and full participation in international organizations and events, "ranging from the United Nations and the World Health Organization to the Olympic Games."
Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.
Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing.
Taiwan returned to the forefront of US-China tensions last weekend when Beijing sent more than two dozen warplanes into the self-governing island's air defence identification zone in a 48-hour period.
While the frequency of such drills has increased in recent years, the timing and the composition of the latest formations -- mostly fighter jets and bombers -- appeared intended to send a message to the new administration in Washington, reported CNN.