US Secretary of State John Kerry recently reiterated Washington's commitment to helping Taiwan defend itself under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and also commended a peace initiative proposed by President Ma Ying-jeou to address territorial disputes in the region.
Consistent with the TRA, "we continue to make available defense articles and services to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability," Kerry said in a written statement in response to questions from the House Committee of Foreign Affairs.
The TRA was enacted in 1979 to maintain commercial, cultural and other unofficial relations between the US and Taiwan after Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. The TRA also requires the US "to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character."
In response to questions on maritime disputes in Asia, Kerry noted that the historic fishery agreement signed between Taiwan and Japan in 2013 can serve as a model for promoting regional stability despite conflicting maritime claims. The existence of competing maritime claims "does not and should not preclude claimants from finding peaceful and effective ways to share and manage resources responsibly," he said.
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