Senior US diplomat, Taiwan leader speak at Taipei event

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen shakes hands with Alex Wong, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State

A senior U.S. diplomat said at an event in Taipei that the United States wishes to “bolster Taiwan’s ability to defend its democracy” after President Donald Trump signed a new law promoting official exchanges between the two sides that has drawn protests from Beijing.

“We wish to strengthen our ties with the Taiwan people and to bolster Taiwan’s ability to defend its democracy,” said State Department official Alex Wong. “Our commitment to these goals has never been stronger.”

Speaking at a dinner with the American Chamber of Commerce, Wong was joined by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who expressed gratitude for Trump’s signing of the new Taiwan Travel Act and also noted the president’s approval last year of a USD1.4 billion arms sale to the island.

“The announcement of a major arms sale last year within the first five months of President Trump’s administration showcased the United States’ unwavering commitment to Taiwan’s continued safety and security,” Tsai said.

Taiwan’s defense minister earlier announced that China’s sole operating aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, had been spotted entering the Taiwan Strait separating the sides on Tuesday.

The defense minister, Yen Teh-fa, told a legislative hearing that Taiwan’s armed forces were monitoring the situation but declined to give further details. The 60,000-ton craft commissioned in 2012 has been conducting military operations in the East China Sea in recent days, Yen said.

The Liaoning has previously transited the heavily trafficked 160 kilometer-wide Taiwan Strait.

Wong’s visit to Taiwan drew new criticism on Wednesday from China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own and has sought to isolate it diplomatically.

China has already lodged a protest over the new Taiwan Travel Act, saying it violates U.S. commitments not to restore formal exchanges severed when Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. AP