The US has said it does not care if the government conducts referendums on domestic public policy issues as long as they do not concern Taiwan's independence or sovereignty, according to a Legislative Yuan delegation in Washington.
US officials conveyed the policy to visiting members of the legislature's Foreign Affairs Committee during a Wednesday morning meeting at the office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in the US capital.
Meanwhile, a minor storm erupted in Washington over an interview that delegation leader Parris Chang (
At the Wednesday meeting, US officials denied his suggestions, saying US policy was balanced between China and Taiwan.
On the question of referendums, US officials "made it clear it was Taiwan's own decision to make," KMT Legislator Sun Kuo-hwa (
"However, they said they have not seen compelling reasons to justify" holding the two referendums that President Chen Shui-bian (
Sun said the Americans were concerned that holding a referendum near the presidential election would raise its profile.
On whether the government should hold a referendum on Taiwan's independence or sovereignty, Sun said, the US officials said "they are after the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait."
"We people in Taiwan, the government and the politicians, have to know the potential consequences" of such an action, Sun said.
The legislators and US officials discussed the matter following media reports in Taiwan last week that AIT Director Douglas Paal had told Chen that the US was opposed to any kind of referendum because Beijing would construe them as provocative. Paal on Wednesday denied making such comments.
At the Wednesday meeting, Chang said that the US officials "tried to play down any kind of controversy that may have occurred" as a result of the discussions of referendums.
"They are now saying that both sides of the Taiwan Strait should refrain from any kind of provocative statement or action," Chang said.
"They are saying, we are not interfering with your domestic affairs. It's your decision to make whether to go ahead or not. But remember about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait area," he said.
But the Americans cautioned that "the United States is not a disinterested party; the United States has an interest in the whole thing," he said.
Nevertheless, delegation members said that the US officials expressed dismay that the Chen government had raised the referendum issue without consulting with Washington beforehand, a reaction reminiscent of Washington's statements after Chen's "one country on each side" of the Taiwan Strait remarks last August.
US officials reacted with apparent anger Wednesday over the Washington Times article that quoted Chang as saying that "concern is rising that there is a perceived tilt toward China" in the George W. Bush administration that is demonstrated by its opposition to the two planned referendums.
"They had a different view," Chang conceded to reporters after meeting with US officials. "They said the United States commitment to Taiwan has remained strong. They said the United States has a parallel interest in also improving relations with China and Taiwan at the same time."
The Americans also cited a string of pro-Taiwan actions taken by the Bush administration as examples of Washington's firm commitment to Taiwan.
"They're not going to sacrifice Taiwan," one delegate quoted the Americans as saying.
A US official said Washington was "uncomfortable" over the Chang interview, a delegate said.
The legislators said that comments attributed to Paal did not come up in their meetings with US officials, who refused to answer questions about the AIT director.
Meanwhile, Pentagon officials said Taiwan must be self-reliant when it comes to its national defense as it would take at least two weeks for US support to arrive, Chinese-language media reported yesterday.
The officials made the warning to another legislative delegation, comprising members of the National Defense Committee and led by legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
"The two-week delay is because the US must go through its own procedure, including military deployment," lawmaker Sun Ta-chien (
"The message is to let the Taiwan government and legislature know that in case of military conflict in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan should be prepared to handle it on its own, and not think that the US Big Brother will come and help Taiwan," a Chinese-language newspaper quoted Sun as saying.
The delegates met with senior US defense officials at the Pentagon, including Assistant Defense Secretary for International Security Affairs Peter Rodman and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs Richard Lawless.
According to Wang, the US officials re-affirmed Washington's commitment to Taiwan but expressed increased concern about China's military threat.
"They warned that between 2005 and 2008, China's military modernization will reach such a stage that there will be certain changes in the military situation in the Taiwan Strait," another Chinese-newspaper quoted Wang as saying.
In their discussion of Taiwan's weapons shopping list, US defense officials mentioned three priorities: the PAC-3 anti-missile defense system, advanced long-range early-warning radars and the so-called C4ISR capabilities, which are command, control, communication, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Wang said the purchase of eight diesel-powered submarines had been put on the back burner because of the cost and the time needed to deliver them.
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