US Treasury Secretary Calls US an Ally to Both Sides of Taiwan Strait

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the United States as an ally to both mainland China and Taiwan on Wednesday. He made this statement hours after President Donald Trump signed new legislation strengthening US ties with Taiwan. Bessent asserted that America's fundamental relationships in the region have not changed. He spoke at The New York Times DealBook Summit in response to questions about Washington's concerns. Those questions focused on the Trump administration's approach to "strategic ambiguity." This is the long-held US policy of not clearly stating if it would defend Taiwan militarily if China attacked. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes any official foreign contact with the island. The US switch to calling Beijing an "ally" is a notable shift in diplomatic language, even as Bessent said policy remains unchanged.