New US Envoy Pledges Support for Taiwan Amid Threats From Communist China

Taiwan's President William Lai Ching-te (R) poses for photos with American Institute in Taiwan (AIT)'s new director, Raymond Greene, in Taipei, Taiwan, on July 10, 2024. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)

Washington’s newly appointed top diplomat to Taiwan has vowed to strengthen U.S. ties with Taipei and affirmed support for Taiwan’s ability to defend itself amid increasing threats from China’s communist regime.

Raymond Greene, the newly appointed de facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan, conveyed those messages on July 10 at a meeting with the self-ruled island’s president, Lai Ching-te.

“First and foremost, the United States remains committed to supporting Taiwan’s ability to defend itself,” Mr. Greene said at Mr. Lai’s office in Taipei, according to a statement. “We have a shared and abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. This is critical for the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and the world.”

The meeting came just two days after Mr. Greene assumed the director’s role at the American Institute in Taiwan, an organization that has long served as Washington’s de facto ambassador to Taiwan.

Mr. Lai said Taipei’s relationship with Washington is “closer than ever before.”

It also comes against a backdrop of rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ratcheted up pressure to force the self-ruled island’s 23 million people to accept its sovereign claims. On the same day of their meeting, the defense ministry in Taipei said it detected 66 Chinese military aircraft and seven warships in areas surrounding Taiwan over the previous 24 hours.

Facing CCP aggression, Mr. Lai told Mr. Greene that Taiwan would “do its utmost to maintain the status quo.”

“We will work closely with the United States and other like-minded countries to contribute to regional prosperity and development,” he added.

Despite its nondiplomatic ties with the island, the United States maintains a robust relationship with Taipei based on the Taiwan Relations Act, which authorizes Washington to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense.

In June, the U.S. government approved a $360 million sale of missiles and drones to Taiwan.

In April, the House of Representatives approved an $8 billion military aid package for the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, to deter the Chinese regime.

Taiwan faces rising aggression from its larger neighbor bent on bringing the territory under its control, by force if necessary. Since the inauguration of Mr. Lai in May, the CCP has launched what it called “punishment” military drills encircling Taiwan and issued new judicial guidelines threatening to impose the death penalty on “diehard” supporters of Taiwan independence.

In response, Taiwan’s government issued a travel warning in June, urging its people not to go to mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau unless absolutely necessary.

Beijing has refused all contact with Taipei since the election of former President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016, as she declined to endorse the CCP’s demand that Taiwan recognize itself as part of China.

Mr. Greene and Mr. Lai also conveyed their countries’ desire to enhance economic and technology cooperation.

Affirming Taiwan as a “critical economic and trading partner” and a key player in the global supply chain, Mr. Greene said the United States looks forward to strengthening their already “rock-solid” ties across economic, cultural, interpersonal, and technological fields.

Mr. Lai expressed his anticipation for the further deepening of Taiwan–U.S. relations “in all manner of fields.” He highlighted the potential for collaboration and exchanges between Taiwan and the United States in “AI and other innovative sectors.”