Sherman, US Deputy Secretary of State, "Will Cooperate with Korea and Japan to Support Taiwan Defense"

Cho Hyun-dong (left), First Vice Foreign Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wendy Sherman (right), Deputy Secretary of State of the United States, and Takeo Mori (center) (森 健良), Administrative Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, are exchanging greetings after the joint press conference of the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting at the Ikura Embassy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo on the 26th. Deputy Secretary Sherman is patting Vice Minister Cho's arm while greeting him. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, stated on the 26th that the United States will cooperate with South Korea and Japan to guarantee Taiwan's self-defense.

Deputy Secretary Sherman made these remarks at a joint press conference following the Korea-U.S.-Japan Deputy Foreign Ministers' Meeting held at the Ikura Residence in Tokyo that day.

She explained, "We will support Taiwan's ability to defend itself (against threats from China)," adding, "We (the Korea-U.S.-Japan deputy foreign ministers) discussed this issue."

She continued, "We all agreed on the necessity of peace in the Taiwan Strait," emphasizing, "This is very important for global trade, peace, and stability."

The Korea-U.S.-Japan Deputy Foreign Ministers' Meeting that day was attended by Deputy Secretary Sherman, Cho Hyun-dong, First Vice Foreign Minister of South Korea, and Takeo Mori, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Deputy Secretary Sherman stressed, "The United States has repeatedly stated publicly that it does not support Taiwan's independence but seeks to guarantee peace," and added, "We (the U.S.) will do whatever we can to support Taiwan and will cooperate with Japan and South Korea to ensure Taiwan's self-defense."

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said at a briefing with Korean media after the meeting, "It is not appropriate to interpret Deputy Secretary Sherman's expressions or nuances," but noted, "There was consensus (among Korea, the U.S., and Japan) on the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait for regional peace and prosperity."

However, the official explained, "The United States has its own commitments and stance toward Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act," and added, "We are not in that situation. It is difficult to say that we share the same position as the United States."

He further stated, "We respect China's 'One China' policy. That is the position of our government."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.