US To Continue Assisting Taiwan's Self-Defense Capabilities - White House

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th March, 2021) The United States will continue to contribute to Taiwan's self-defense capabilities despite calls from China to roll back the support for the breakaway island, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday.

"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 commitments... We will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability. So our position remains the same," Psaki said during a daily briefing.

China's foreign minister Wang Yi urged on Sunday the new US administration "to fully understand the high sensitivity of the Taiwan issue" and abandon "dangerous practices of crossing the line and playing with fire, AP reported.

According to a State Department bilateral fact sheet, 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.

Between 2016-2018, Taiwan was the recipient of $2.2 billion worth of US arms sales, according to figures published by the Center for Responsive politics on February 25, 2021.