TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — AIT Director Raymond Greene on Thursday reaffirmed that US policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged despite recent remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting arms sales to the country could serve as leverage in China negotiations.
Following talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping last week, US President Donald Trump told Fox News he was still weighing approval of the arms sale, calling it “a very good negotiating chip.” He added, “We're not looking to have somebody say, 'Let's go independent because the United States is backing us.'”
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Sunday said Taiwan supports peace in the Taiwan Strait and the broader region, and China is the source of regional instability. He added that the consensus among Taiwanese is that Taiwan is a sovereign democratic country, not subordinate to China.
Greene told CNA that the US welcomes the outcomes of the recent US-China leaders’ summit, adding that "establishing a stable framework for bilateral relations will help enhance regional security, including in the Taiwan Strait." The clearer leaders' intentions and actions are, he said, the lower the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation.
He also cited White House statements saying Washington does not view “stable US-China relations and a strong US-Taiwan partnership as being in conflict" and will continue deepening cooperation with Taiwan across policy areas. He added that the US remains concerned about the gradual erosion of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and therefore places great importance on restoring the balance of power there by strengthening Taiwan's defense capabilities.
Greene said Trump’s National Security Strategy highlights the importance of deterring conflict along the First Island Chain, particularly because peace in the Taiwan Strait is critical to US security. He added that the US welcomes Lai’s reaffirmation of Taiwan’s long-standing commitment to cross-strait dialogue and maintaining the status quo, a position supported by Taiwan’s major political parties and the vast majority of the Taiwanese.
The US hopes Beijing will respond in kind by engaging with Taiwan’s elected leaders “without preconditions and by reducing its military pressure around Taiwan,” Greene told CNA. He also mentioned that Trump has stressed that any unilateral attempt to alter the status quo risks triggering a devastating conflict.
According to Greene, a cross-strait conflict could cause up to US$10 trillion (NT$315.19 trillion) in global economic losses, approximately 10% of global GDP. He said China and Taiwan would suffer even more severe consequences and therefore have the greatest interest in avoiding conflict.
Responding to Trump’s description of arms sales to Taiwan as a bargaining chip, Greene said Trump and senior administration officials reiterated that US policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged, "and that this stance was clearly conveyed to the Chinese side," CNA reported.
He said US policy is based on the Three Joint Communiques, the Taiwan Relations Act, and the Six Assurances, a framework that “has been consistent across US administrations from both parties and has ensured peace across the Taiwan Strait for nearly five decades.”
