TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The surprise U.S. delegation scheduled to arrive Tuesday (March 1) is meant to convey consistent support for Taiwan Strait peace, White House National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell said on Monday (Feb. 28).

During a virtual event organized by Washington, D.C.-based think tank The German Marshall Fund, Campbell said the delegation emphasizes Washington's enduring support for peace and stability in the strait.

Campbell also said the U.S. will maintain its exchanges with the Indo-Pacific region while continuing to work closely with European partners. "It's hard and expensive, but necessary," he said. "I believe that's what we're entering into, this era of America and this generation of Americans."

In addition to the delegation to Taiwan, Campbell said that in the next few months, the world will see America’s determination to maintain high-level exchanges with the Indo-Pacific region, including a visit to China by the head of the U.S. mission to ASEAN in March.

With regard to whether Russia's invasion of Ukraine may embolden China to act on its territorial claims, Campbell said the conflict has only lasted for a few days and that it is too early to draw any conclusions from it. However, he stressed that Washington is committed to maintaining open channels of communication with Beijing.

The U.S. delegation consists of ex-security and defense officials, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen; Meghan O'Sullivan, a deputy national security advisor under President Bush; Michele Flournoy, an undersecretary of defense under President Obama; and former National Security Council senior directors for Asia Mike Green and Evan Medeiros.