Biden emissary tells Tsai Ing-wen the US is ‘a reliable and trusted friend’ of Taiwan

Name: Taipei tells Biden’s delegate it will counter ‘provocations’ with US amid Beijing’s military moves
Uploaded: 2021-04-15T10:00:22.000Z
Duration: 2 min 28 s
Description: Taipei tells Biden’s delegate it will counter ‘provocations’ with US amid Beijing’s military moves

Former senator Chris Dodd says Washington will help island expand international space and support its investment in self-defence

President says Taipei is willing to work with the US and like-minded countries to safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific

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Former US senator Chris Dodd during talks with Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen at the presidential office in Taipei on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Lawrence Chung

Published: 6:00pm, 15 Apr 2021Updated: 1:03am, 16 Apr 2021

A visiting US emissary told Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen that the Joe Biden administration was “a reliable and trusted friend” that would support the self-ruled island, which is facing growing military threats from Beijing.

Chris Dodd, a former US senator, is visiting Taipei as part of an unofficial delegation sent by President Biden. Without mentioning Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory, Dodd told Tsai they had been sent to reaffirm the US commitment to deepen the security partnership with the democratic island and cooperation in other areas.

“There are many ways which the US can be helpful as well,” Dodd told Tsai during a meeting at her office on Thursday. “You will find the Biden administration, Madam President, to be a reliable and trusted friend, and I am confident this administration will help you expand your international space and support your investment in self-defence.”

Dodd pointed to the State Department announcement of new guidelines last week that he said “explicitly and enthusiastically encourages US government officials to interact with their Taiwan counterparts and conduct reciprocal visits as well”.

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Taipei tells Biden’s delegate it will counter ‘provocations’ with US amid Beijing’s military moves

Tsai welcomed the move as well as the US signing a coastguard cooperation agreement with Taiwan last month, which she said were signs of deepening and rock-solid relations between Taipei and Washington.

She also thanked the Biden administration for “its repeated reiteration of the importance of maintaining cross-strait peace and stability”, saying the People’s Liberation Army’s increasing military activities near Taiwan had altered the status quo in the Indo-Pacific region and threatened regional peace.