Ambassador and former US national security adviser John Bolton reportedly met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen at her official residence on Monday to discuss the strengthening of the two country’s relationship amid Taiwan’s ongoing conflict with China.
Tsai told Bolton that her government is willing to bolster cooperation with the US and other “like-minded partners” in an effort to secure peace, as China has consistently made known that it will use military force to bring Taiwan under its control, according to the Associated Press. The two countries separated in 1949 after a civil war, resulting in China taking the mainland and Taiwan remaining an independent island.
Tsai apparently made it known to Bolton, a potential presidential candidate in the 2024 election, that she would like to strengthen their military alliance, as well as improving economic cooperation between the two sides. Bolton’s recent visit to the island country appears to reveal the importance of the issue in the upcoming presidential election, as relations between Washington and Beijing remain tense.
The report stated that Tsai expressed that China’s military exercises have negatively affected the stability in the Indo-Pacific region, saying: “But we will stay calm and firmly safeguard peace across the Taiwan Strait.”
Though the US has remained Taiwan’s closest military ally, there has been no formal diplomatic declaration that binds the two countries. The AP reported that the US requires Washington to treat any threat to the island as a situation of “grave concern,” but it is not clear if American troops would be deployed if a military dispute arises in the area.
The Taiwanese Defense Ministry made known on Friday that China had flown 38 fighter jets and other warplanes around the small island country. This happened to be the heaviest military exercise enacted by China since they simulated sealing off the island in early April, deploying 42 fighter jets after Tsai had met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
China does not approve of the Taiwanese president meeting with US government officials.
