Sandra Oudkirk, the new Director of the American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT) Taipei office, told Taiwan's
CNA (October 29) that the United States considers peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait "central to the
security and stability of the broader Indo Pacific region and to the U.S." She said, "Our commitment to Taiwan
is rock solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the
region." Asked specifically about President Joe Biden's recent pledge to defend Taiwan in case of a Chinese
attack, Oudkirk said there has been no change in U.S. policy. The U.S., she said, will continue to help Taiwan
boost its self-defence capability as part of America's commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA),
which has served as the cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan relations since official diplomatic ties were severed in
1979, adding "We engage with our partners in Taiwan on a routine basis to access vulnerability, to access
ways we can support Taiwan in mounting its own self defence."
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