TOKYO (Reuters) -U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Japan’s defence during a meeting on Monday with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Tokyo in which they condemned China’s actions in the Taiwan Strait.
“They discussed the People’s Republic of China’s recent aggressive and irresponsible provocations in the Taiwan Strait, and reaffirmed the importance of preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the White House said in a statement.
Harris’ trip to Asia, which will include a stop in South Korea, comes days after Chinese officials were roiled by an explicit pledge by U.S. President Joe Biden to defend the Chinese-claimed island.
China sees democratically ruled Taiwan as one of its provinces. Beijing has long vowed to bring Taiwan under its control and has not ruled out the use of force to do so. Taiwan’s government strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s 23 million people can decide its future.
Harris, who will lead the U.S. delegation to the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, also discussed North Korea’s recent ballistic missile test with Kishida, as well the importance of resolving the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea, the statement said.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Catherine Evans and Angus MacSwan)
