U.S. and Chinese Defense Officials Meet in Bid to Cool Regional Tensions
New York TimesSep 09, 2022
The Facts
On Fri., US Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin met with his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Wei Fenghe at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to discuss the issue of Taiwan - the self-ruled island that China claims as its sovereign territory.
During the meeting, Austin reiterated that the US is committed to its One China policy, which states that Washington recognizes the PRC as the sole legal government of Taiwan and acknowledges but doesn't endorse China's claim that Taiwan is within its borders.
The Spin
Anti-China narrative
The US' traditional strategy of ambiguity with regard to Taipei must be reformed in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Washington must stand for freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in the Pacific.
Pro-China narrative
The US is playing political games. Washington claims commitment to its One-China policy but then helps arm Taiwan, which seriously undermines China's sovereignty and security interests in the region.
