TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The U.S. and South Korea and other allies have many shared values and interests, including stability in the Taiwan Strait, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said on Monday (Aug. 22).

Following Beijing's recent attempts to undermine cross-strait stability and the status quo, the Taiwan Strait has been a topic of recent discussion between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, Price said. He added that what they want most is the maintenance of the status quo and stability of the Taiwan Strait.

The spokesperson said that the strait is an important shipping route in the world and a considerable number of global commercial vessels have passed through it over the past 40 years, UDN reported.

Because the U.S. understands the importance of the Taiwan Strait, not only for the Taiwanese but also for other regional countries and stakeholders, it and its regional allies have always stood up to defend and maintain the status quo, UDN cited him as saying.

The spokesperson also pointed out that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin on Aug. 19 to discuss continued bilateral cooperation in taking on global challenges. Both shared views on the importance of working together to maintain the international rules-based order and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the rest of the Indo-Pacific.

Price also noted South Korea’s “concerted efforts” to improve ties with Japan and said the secretary reaffirmed America’s commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan.