The United States is strengthening America-Taiwan bilateral ties:
The United States said on Monday it was establishing a new bilateral economic dialogue with Taiwan, an initiative it said was aimed at strengthening ties with Taipei and supporting it in the face of increasing pressure from Beijing.
Washington also said it had declassified six Reagan-era security assurances given to Taiwan, a move analysts said appeared intended to show further support for Taipei. ...
Washington felt compelled to make these given the "increasing threat posed by Beijing to peace and stability" in a vitally important region and Beijing's attempts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically while subjecting it to military threats.
The assurances aren't new, of course, and have been broadly known:
That the U.S. had not agreed to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan
That the U.S. had not agreed to consult with China on arms sales to Taiwan
That the U.S. would not play a mediation role between Taipei and Beijing
That the U.S. had not agreed to revise the Taiwan Relations Act
That the U.S. had not altered its position regarding sovereignty over Taiwan
That the U.S. would not exert pressure on Taiwan to enter into negotiations with the People’s Republic of China
Meanwhile, Taiwan is taking steps to distinguish itself from communist-run China:
Fed up with being confused for China amid the coronavirus pandemic and Beijing's stepped-up efforts to assert sovereignty, Taiwan said on Wednesday it would redesign its passport to give greater prominence to the island's name. ...
The new passport, to roll out in January, enlarges the word "Taiwan" in English and removes the large English words "Republic of China", though that name in Chinese and in small English font around the national emblem will remain.
Now if Taiwan would greatly increase its defense spending this all might keep Taiwan free.
Increasingly, Taiwan is an outpost of Western freedom.
