The head of the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan expressed concern on Friday about China's ongoing actions to undermine stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, reaffirming Washington's commitment to helping the island defend itself.
The director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk, said at her first press conference since taking office in July that the United States has a shared and abiding interest in peace and stability across the strait, which Washington considers central to its security and that of the broader Indo-Pacific region.
Emphasizing the U.S. commitment to Taiwan is "rock solid," Oudkirk said, "We are deeply concerned by ongoing PRC's efforts to undermine that stability," referring to the acronym of the People's Republic of China.
When asked whether the United States will come to Taiwan's defense if China launches an attack, Oudkirk said U.S. policy toward Taiwan "is clear, is well-known and has not changed," citing the Taiwan Relations Act.
China and Taiwan have been governed separately since a civil war led to their split in 1949.
Their relations have deteriorated since independence-leaning Tsai Ing-wen became Taiwan's president in 2016. The mainland considers the island a renegade province.
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