BANGKOK, July 30. /TASS/. A potential military conflict around Taiwan will have implications for the whole world, so it is important to preserve peace and stability in the region, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

"There is a recognition around the world that would there be some kind of a crisis in Taiwan, it would affect everyone, it would [a] global impact. We have 50% of [the] container traffic going through the Taiwan Strait every single day, 70% of the semiconductors manufactured on Taiwan <…> which is exactly why all of us are focused on trying to make sure that peace and stability are preserved, that the status quo is maintained," he said at a press conference in Manila following a meeting in the '2+2' format, which was also attended by Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin from the US side, and by top diplomat Enrique Manalo and top defense official Gilberto Teodoro from the Philippine side.

Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled there after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. Since then, Taiwan has retained the flag and some other attributes of the former Republic of China that existed on the mainland before the Communists took power. Official Beijing considers Taiwan a province of the People’s Republic of China. The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 and established relations with China. While recognizing the one-China policy, Washington continues to maintain contacts with the Taipei government. The US is Taiwan’s main arms supplier.