Taiwan views US backing as constant, regardless of the election’s winner

Taipei: As the presidential campaign heats up, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that it anticipates US support will not change, regardless of the winner, but it will remain vigilant against Taiwan-China problems being “manipulated.”

The Trump administration provided significant support for Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. This support included high-profile trips and weaponry shipments, which have continued throughout President Joe Biden’s administration.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry told legislators in a report that there was bipartisan support for the island despite the uncertainty around the result of the US election.
The ministry also said that although Taiwan would continue to have balanced discussions with both parties, it must be vigilant about how Taiwan-China problems can come up during the election.
“As the US election heats up, we should beware of cross-Taiwan Strait issues being manipulated as a political issue of defence and attack,” the statement said.
US Congressman Jack Bergman, a Republican who leads the House Armed Services Committee’s Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee, met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday in Taipei. He said that the purpose of his delegation’s visit was to demonstrate Congress’ ongoing support for Taiwan.
“We will continue to assure our colleagues that this strategic relationship is key for the future security of the region,” Bergman said.
“This includes a strong Taiwanese maritime strategy and how we can work together on shared goals to counter China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the region.”
Along with Democratic Congressmen Donald Norcross and Jimmy Panetta, Bergman said that they would be seeing “US personnel” in Taiwan, although he did not say whether these people were military or civilian.
Despite the lack of official diplomatic connections, the United States is Taiwan’s largest overseas sponsor and supplier of armaments.
Taiwan’s democratically elected government disputes China’s claims to sovereignty, stating that the people of the island have the last say over their destiny.