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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday described the United States as an ally to both mainland China and Taiwan, while at the same time asserting that its relationships have not shifted, hours after US President Donald Trump enacted legislation deepening US ties with the self-governed island.
Asked about concerns among some in Washington about the Trump administration’s approach to the long-held policy of strategic ambiguity on the Taiwan issue at The New York Times DealBook Summit, Bessent said: “The United States is an ally of China. The relationship remains unchanged.”
When asked to clarify if the US was an ally of Taiwan, he restated that “the relationship remains unchanged”. He refused to answer if the US would come to the island’s defence if Beijing attempted to invade, calling the question “hypothetical”.
In a recorded video interview at the same event, Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te later warned that Beijing’s military drills around the island were “becoming increasingly frequent and intense”.
However, he stopped short of directly commenting on whether he was confident the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion, saying: “Since President Trump took office, cooperation with Taiwan has not only continued, but even expanded.”
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