Amid rising tensions in Taiwan Strait, US says will continue to assist Taipei in self-defence

Washington [US], May 25 : Amid escalating tensions in Taiwan Strait, the United States on Tuesday said it will continue to assist Taiwan in its self-defence.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday that Washington's policy towards Taiwan remains unchanged, Taiwan News reported.
China has ramped up political pressure and military threats against Taiwan, with almost daily incursions into Taipei's air defence identification zone.
Recently, the United States and South Korea have agreed to cooperate on the Taiwan Strait issue, amid rising tensions in the 180-km wide waterways.
US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is on a visit to America, held a bilateral summit on Friday, Taiwan News reported.
At the post-summit press conference, Biden said the two talked about issues vital to regional stability, such as maintaining freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and upholding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, according to a joint statement.
Regarding Taiwan, Moon said, "We've shared the view that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are extremely important, and we agreed to work together on that matter while considering special characteristics in relations between China and Taiwan," Reuters cited him as saying.
When asked at a press conference Monday what South Korea would do in the event of an armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait, John Kirby said he could not comment on the issue and it was better to let the South Korean government speak for itself. However, he added that Washington's Taiwan policy has not changed.
He said that Washington does not want to see a unilateral change to the status quo and that the U.S. will "continue to assist Taiwan in its self-defence" in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Communiques, and the Six Assurances.
The Taiwan Strait is a 180-kilometre-wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. The Taiwan Strait is one of the most heavily policed strips of water in the world, patrolled by both Chinese and Taiwanese navy and coastguard vessels.
The strait is in international waters, however, China claims Taiwan as its own territory and regards the US Navy's presence in the area as a show of support for the island's democratic government.
On Wednesday, a Beijing-backed think-tank -- China Cross-Strait Academy -- released a report on relations across the Taiwan Strait that separates mainland China from Taiwan, South China Morning Post reported.
The think tank said the risk of armed conflict is an "all-time high" as tension escalates in the region.