US keeping status quo on Taiwan policy is ‘vitally important’, senior American diplomat testifies
- Allies and partners described as more willing and comfortable to stand alongside Washington when they understand stance espouses ‘peace and stability’
- Amid Beijing’s rhetoric and tactics, ‘much more productive to focus on concrete, tangible means to build Taiwan’s deterrent capability’, official adds
Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations committee, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink said “it’s vitally important that the United States continue to be the party working towards the status quo, maintaining the status quo, not being the party that is somehow changing our approach”.
Such an approach would garner broad support from US allies, Kritenbrink added.
“When they understand that we stand for status quo and peace and stability, not for coercion and intimidation, I think it increases partners’ willingness and comfort to stand up with us.”
For decades, Washington has pursued a policy of “strategic ambiguity” towards Taiwan, a deliberately vague stance on defending the self-governed island should it face armed conflict with Beijing.
