He also defended continued US sales of weapons to Taiwan as directed by the Taiwan Relations Act.
"We have repeatedly said to China, `please consider that you are driving the equation, not necessarily the Taiwanese. If you do put 600 missiles off the shores of Taiwan and decline to renounce the use of force to reunify, then you are creating the situation where the Taiwanese feel threatened and where our Taiwan Relations Act comes into play,'" he said.
"Absent direct dialogue and absent China's willingness to renounce the use of force in correcting the situation between these two entities, we have no choice than to abide by the law of the land," he said.
He refused to pass judgment on the Lien-Soong China visits, though.
"We are dealing with a democracy. Taiwan is a functioning democracy. What the people of Taiwan choose to do, and their political parties choose to do in the final instance is their decision," Lawless said.
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