TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The United States does not exclude the possibility of joint weapons production with Taiwan, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene said Wednesday (Sept. 4).

Greene was speaking at his first news conference since taking leadership of the Taipei-based office in July. The career diplomat succeeded Sandra Oudkirk at the end of her three-year term.

Greene told reporters Wednesday that Washington was working with a number of partners to expand the joint manufacturing of military supplies. He added he would not exclude the possibility that Taiwan would be one of those partners in the future, per UDN.

Addressing alleged delays in weapons deliveries to Taiwan, Greene said the US had put the country on its priority list. Due to pressure from wars in Europe and the Middle East, the arms industry was expanding its partnerships, he said, quoting the example of closer cooperation with Japan.

In his opening remarks, the AIT director emphasized US support for Taiwan’s defense investments and military reforms. He added that Taiwan was not the only target of China’s efforts at coercion and intimidation to change the status quo. 

As a result, the US was building a “latticework of alliances” in the Indo-Pacific to enhance deterrence and preserve the rules-based international system, according to Greene.