U.S. reiterates commitment toward Taiwan after Sullivan-Yang meet: MOFA

Taipei, Oct. 12 (CNA) The United States government has reaffirmed its commitment toward Taiwan in a recent briefing following a meeting between National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi (楊潔篪) in Switzerland earlier this month, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Tuesday.

The U.S. recently briefed Taiwan on the Sullivan-Yang meeting as part of a long-standing practice between both sides following similar high-level U.S.-China official meetings, said the head of MOFA's Department of North American Affairs Hsu Yu-tien (徐佑典).

During the briefing, the U.S. side reassured its "rock-solid" commitment toward Taiwan as outlined in the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, Hsu said.

Based on long-standing practice, however, Hsu said Taiwan will not disclose when the meeting took place or the level of U.S. officials who hosted it.

According to a readout released by the White House following the meeting, Sullivan and Yang, Chinese Communist Party Politburo member and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, met in Zurich on Oct. 6, as a follow-up to a Sept. 9 phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and China President Xi Jinping (習近平).

According to the readout, Sullivan raised areas in which Washington has concerns with Beijing's actions, such as on human rights, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, the South China Sea, and Taiwan.

"Mr. Sullivan made clear that while we will continue to invest in our own national strength and work closely with our allies and partners, we will also continue to engage with the PRC at a senior level to ensure responsible competition," stated the readout.

Meanwhile, Hsu said Taiwan and the U.S. are still in talks in preparation for the holding of a second edition of the U.S.-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership (EPP) Dialogue though more details of it including when and where it will be held have not yet been decided.

The inaugural EPP dialogue was held in Washington in November 2020, covering a broad range of economic issues, including 5G networks and telecommunications security, supply chains, renewable energy, and global health, and is meant to further strengthen the U.S.-Taiwan economic relationship.

The U.S delegation was headed by then-Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach, while the Taiwanese delegation was helmed by Minister without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中) and Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花).