The United States is trying to expedite arms supplies to Taiwan, according to the de facto ambassador in Taipei in comments that are likely to reassure officials in Taipei concerned that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended military aid to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
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"We are actively working to accelerate delivery timelines, especially for equipment related to asymmetric warfare, as this is particularly important for Taiwan's defense," said Raymond Green, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, in an interview with Liberty Times, a newspaper in Taipei.
"If the war in Ukraine ends, we are expected to refocus on Taiwan's defense needs again," he added in the interview. The newspaper did not specify when the interview took place.
Taiwan, as the publication indicates, "depends on U.S. military support to fend off China, which wants to one day take control of the democracy of 23 million people by force if necessary."
Questions about Washington's commitment to Taiwan, the publication writes, have intensified following a tense meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office. Following this episode, the U.S. quickly suspended all expected military aid until Trump determines that Ukrainian leaders demonstrate a sincere commitment to peace.
Emphasizing Taiwan's hope for continued U.S. military support, Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister François Chih-Chung Wu stated last week that Taiwan "prays" for closer security ties.
Supplement
In recent years, China has intensified its military intimidation of Taiwan, notably conducting several series of large-scale exercises around the main island. It also checks Taiwan's air and naval capabilities almost daily, conducting incursions into sensitive areas of the archipelago.
Beijing has made it clear that pressure will continue, at the end of last month, when its 4th official Wang Huning used sharper rhetoric regarding Taiwan than in the past. Speaking at a meeting in Beijing, Wang called on his country to "outline the inevitable reunification of the motherland."
