The US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner said on Wednesday that bolstering Taiwan's self-defenses is an "urgent task" to deter China.

Ratner clarified, in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the future of the US' policy on Taiwan, that the Pentagon is committed to maintaining the capacity of the United States to resist the "coercion, whether by force or otherwise, of Taiwan."

US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, had earlier said that Chinese military flights near Taiwan look like "rehearsals", and reiterated Washington's "strong support" for the island.

Read more: Explaining Taiwan: The Balance of Relations between the US and China

Tensions rising

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, had already called on China's leaders to "think very carefully", because an attack on Taiwan "would have terrible consequences for lots of people and one that is no one’s interest, starting with China."

President Joe Biden had also said on October 22 that the United States would defend Taiwan if China were to attack. His comment came in light of tense relations between Beijing and the neighboring island.

Last November, US planes conducted 94 reconnaissance flights over the South China Sea next to the Chinese border.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), which cited data from Beijing-based think tank SCSPI, the number of flights in November was 30% more than the previous record set in February, when the center recorded 75 flights from US reconnaissance planes.

China's Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, had told the US Secretary of State in a phone conversation that support for Taiwan's independence will disrupt regional peace and stability and will eventually cause substantial damage, as per history and reality. He warned the US not to "send wrong signals" in order not to cause disruption. 

Read more: Cold War Parallels: China-Taiwan Tensions