US' pro-Taiwan policy to continue regardless of election outcome: NSB

Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) The United States' policy to contain China while remaining friendly toward Taiwan is likely to be maintained no matter who wins the U.S. presidential election, Taiwan's top intelligence chief said Wednesday.

National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said Taiwan's government will continue its "strategic communication" with the incoming administration in Washington.

The focus on such communication will be on how to move to the next chapter in Taiwan-U.S. collaboration, including on national defense, trade, and supply chain cooperation, with more concrete projects to be proposed to further deepen bilateral ties, he said.

Asked about if China has been engaged in cognitive warfare against Taiwan during the U.S. presidential race, Tsai said the Chinese Communist Party had been spreading so-called "American skepticism" for some time.

That rhetoric focuses on questioning the necessity of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and bilateral cooperation, the intelligence chief said.

The NSB will do its best to make sure such rhetoric, which he termed as "controversial information," does not jeopardize the ongoing cooperation between Taiwan and its allies, he said.

Another major task for NSB is to enhance intelligence sharing with allied countries to prevent China from coming up with excuses to do something "politically and militarily" against Taiwan during the post-U.S. election period before the new leader takes office, Tsai said.

Tsai made the comments on the sidelines of a legislative session when asked by reporters to comment on the NSB's assessment of the U.S. presidential election.