US affirms it will stand by Taiwan, other allies

WASHINGTON • The US has said it remains committed to Taiwan and other allies, pushing back at concerns about its resolve after its exit from Afghanistan led to the Taleban taking over Kabul.

"We believe that our commitments to our allies and partners are sacrosanct and always have been," National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday during a press conference in Washington.

"We believe our commitment to Taiwan and to Israel remains as strong as it's ever been."

When asked how Washington is countering questions about its resolve from Beijing and Moscow, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: "We, of course, are in touch with the Chinese and the Russians."

"We stand by partners around the world who are subject to this kind of propaganda that Russia and China are projecting. And we're going to continue to deliver on those words with actions," Ms Psaki added.

State media outlets in China have said that neither the United States nor Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen would fight in the event of a conflict.

President Tsai yesterday said Afghanistan's return to Taleban rule following the withdrawal of US forces shows Taiwan needs to be "stronger and more united" in ensuring its own defence. "I want to tell everyone that Taiwan's only option is to make ourselves stronger, more united and more resolute in our determination to protect ourselves," Ms Tsai wrote in a Facebook post.

"It's not an option for us to do nothing on our own and just to rely on other people's protection," she added.

Analysts have warned that Afghanistan and Taiwan are not easy comparisons.

"(Taiwan) is a core interest for the US in that it is a well-functioning democracy, loyal ally, (with) a capable military and directly standing up to America's most important competitor," Professor Robert Kelly, an international relations expert at Pusan National University, wrote on Twitter. "Afghanistan was on the fringe of US interests. A better analogue... is Israel."

China sees Taiwan as part of its territory and has maintained the right to unify both sides, by force if necessary.

Former US ambassador to China Max Baucus told Bloomberg Television in an interview on Tuesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping may be emboldened to test the US over Taiwan. "He's going to test to see the degree to which we are going to stand up for Taiwan," he said.

BLOOMBERG, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE