Image Credit: Taiwan News
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell addressed the ongoing tensions surrounding Taiwan during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday, stressing concerns over China’s interpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The resolution, passed in 1971, recognised the People’s Republic of China as the legitimate government of China, a position that Beijing now uses to justify its claims over Taiwan.
Campbell remarked that China has been leveraging the resolution to argue against Taiwan’s sovereignty, an issue that has drawn repeated protests from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He pointed out that Beijing’s stance misrepresents the resolution’s original intent, which simply replaced the Republic of China (Taiwan) with the People’s Republic of China in the UN, without addressing Taiwan’s specific status.
During the hearing, Campbell emphasised the U.S.’s unwavering commitment to Taiwan, clarifying that the relationship between the two nations is underpinned by the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the six assurances, and the three communiques. This framework, he explained, has been crucial in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, which has been under growing strain from China’s military posturing.
The Deputy Secretary also underscored the role of the TRA in bolstering Taiwan’s defence capabilities, allowing the U.S. to support the island nation in the face of potential aggression from China. The U.S. has significantly increased its military assistance to Indo-Pacific allies, aiming to counterbalance the rising threat posed by Beijing.
He described Taiwan as “highly resilient” and expressed confidence that the international community continues to stand with Taiwan. Campbell’s comments followed his meeting with Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu in May, where he raised concerns about China’s “destabilising actions” in the region, warning that they risk undermining the decades-long status quo of peace.