Taiwan welcomes renewed US, Philippines commitment to regional security
- Taipei says joint statement underscores the ‘consensus from countries in the region to uphold cross-strait peace and stability’
- Closer defence cooperation will allow the US to better respond in the event of conflict in the Taiwan Strait, observers say
Taiwan has applauded a joint statement by the leaders of the United States and the Philippines on maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait following the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) intensified military operations around the self-ruled island.
Observers said closer US-Philippine cooperation, especially in defence, would give US forces yet another base of operations from which to aid Taiwan should a cross-strait conflict break out.
In a statement at the end of their talks at the White House on Monday, US President Joe Biden and his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jnr pledged closer cooperation on defence, the economy, and climate change.
“They affirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity,” the statement said.
The foreign ministry in Taipei said on Tuesday that the mutual commitment to security in the Taiwan Strait was a matter of global interest. “[The statement] underscores the high degree of consensus from countries in the region to uphold cross-strait peace and stability,” it said.
The ministry said that since last year, Beijing had intensified its military threats against Taiwan, posing serious challenges to security in the region and raising international concerns.