27 August 2015

News Story: US remains committed to Taiwan's self-defense - congressman

A visiting US congressman reiterated Tuesday that the United States remains committed to helping Taiwan maintain its self-defense.

Steve Russell (R-OK) made his point at the Taiwan-US-Japan Trilateral Security Dialogue in Taipei Tuesday, in response to concerns over the US Congress' weaker support for Taiwan.

The US government has made it clear that it will continue to help Taiwan maintain its self-defense and the Congress has passed a resolution to reinforce the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), Russel said.

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."

Read the full story at Want China Times