Saying that Taiwan is aware of the clarifications made by the US concerning Secretary of State Colin Powell's recent "reunification" remarks and Washington's assertion that it would stick to the "Six Assurances," Deputy Secretary-General of the Presidential Office James Huang (黃志芳) yesterday said the explanation from the US was "positive and helpful," and that the government will continue to communicate with the US via multiple channels.
Taiwan's top representative to the US confirmed yesterday that US officials reassured him that Washington will adhere to the "Six Assurances" it made in 1982 as guidelines for its policy toward Taiwan.
During a meeting with Chinese-language media in Washington, David Lee (李大維) confirmed that Randall Shriver, US deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian Affairs, told him that the US' stance on Taiwan's sovereignty has not changed and that the "Six Assurances" remain unchanged.
The Reagan administration offered its "Six Assurances" to Taiwan after it signed a joint communique on Aug. 17, 1982 with China over arms sales to Taiwan.
Lee said that he immediately contacted the State Department to express Taiwan's "grave concern" and asked for clarification after Powell made remarks regarding the cross-strait relationship in an interview with the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV Group during his Monday visit to Beijing.
In the interview, Powell said that "Taiwan is not independent. It does not enjoy sovereignty as a nation," and that the two sides should move forward to a "peaceful reunification."
According to Lee, Shriver reiterated in a "face to face" talk with him Tuesday that the "Six Assurances," particularly the fifth point -- namely, the US would not alter its position about Taiwan's sovereignty, and the question was to be decided peacefully by the parties involved themselves -- remain unchanged.
Meanwhile, Lee said that Powell clarified during an interview with Ron Insana of CNBC Wednesday that the words "peaceful reunification" should have been "peaceful resolution."
"The term of art really is to have a `peaceful resolution' of the problem. And that's the term of art, and that is our policy and remains our policy," Powell was quoted as saying to CNBC.
Lee said that he believes that Washington will formally reiterate its "Six Assurances" toward Taiwan again shortly, adding that he expected to be briefed by US officials about Powell's recent Beijing visit.
The "Six Assurances" stipulate that the US has not agreed to set a date for ending arms sales to the Republic of China (ROC); has not agreed to hold prior consultations with Beijing on arms sales to the ROC; will not play any mediation role between Taiwan and Beijing; has not agreed to revise the Taiwan Relations Act; has not altered its position regarding sovereignty of Taiwan; and will not exert pressure on Taiwan to enter into negotiations with Beijing.
Meanwhile, Lee said that actually, Powell has on many occasions during his talks with the Chinese leadership spoken favorably on behalf of Taiwan, including saying that the US remains firm in its stance on arms sales to Taiwan despite Beijing's strong opposition and that the US has continued to encourage Beijing to face squarely the goodwill that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) demonstrated toward China in his Double Ten National Day address.
DRONE CENTRAL: Taiwan aims to become Asia’s democratic hub for drones, with most exports focused on high-quality military-grade models, an official said Taiwan’s drone industry is expected to expand significantly by 2030, producing 100,000 units per month and exporting half of them, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. Current drone production capacity is about 15,000 units per month, but the industry can quickly scale up as demand increases, Industrial Development Administration Director-General Chiou Chyou-huey (邱求慧) told a news conference in Taipei. Taiwan’s drone output grew 2.5-fold last year to NT$12.9 billion (US$408.3 million) under a government program to develop the uncrewed vehicle sector, he said. The Executive Yuan in October last year approved plans to invest NT$44.2 billion into domestic production of uncrewed aerial
WARNING: China should stop engaging in actions that undermine regional peace and stability, as it would only build resentment among people across the Strait, the CGA said China has deployed more than 100 navy, coast guard and other vessels in waters from the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea and the western Pacific since US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met in Beijing, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said yesterday. “In this part of the world, #China is the one & only PROBLEM wrecking the #StatusQuo & threatening regional peace & stability,” Wu wrote on X. In a separate post, he said Beijing was coercing Taiwan’s maritime domain, calling it illegal and provocative, after the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) expelled a
VERBOSE VESSELS: A CGA cutter and a China Coast Guard exchanged verbal barbs for more than a day in Taiwanese-controlled waters before the Chinese vessel left The Taiwanese and Chinese coast guards had a standoff near the strategically located Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the north of the South China Sea, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday. The two sides engaged in intense radio exchanges over sovereignty claims during the 33-hour standoff. China Coast Guard vessel 3501 eventually left the restricted waters, 26.6 nautical miles (49.2km) west of the Pratas Islands, at 5pm yesterday, the CGA said. Lying approximately between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Taiwan-controlled Pratas are seen by some security experts as vulnerable to Chinese attack due to their distance — more than
More than 8,000 people took part in a rally in Taipei yesterday to express support for more defense spending, after the opposition slashed the Cabinet’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.6 billion) special defense budget and capped it at NT$780 billion. The demonstrators urged the Cabinet to propose another bill. Taiwan Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) said the main problem of the passed budget plan is the removal of funding for critical items, not just that the total amount is smaller. Critical budget items included purchasing or developing uncrewed vehicles, Strong Bow (強弓) missile systems, additional ammunition, artificial intelligence-powered combat systems and Taiwan-US
RSS