In his first public comments since returning from important two-day talks in Beijing earlier this month, US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg did not sound overly optimistic about the future of the US-China relationship.
Asked if arms sales to Taiwan and the recent visit to the White House by the Dalai Lama could result in relations deteriorating before they get better, Steinberg sought to avoid the question.
PRIORITIES
Speaking about the “Foreign Policy Priorities of the Obama Administration” at a meeting of the Atlantic Council in Washington on Monday night, Steinberg said his visit to Beijing — on which he was accompanied by National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs Jeff Bader — had resulted in “a very productive exchange with a broad range of important officials on the Chinese side.”
Significantly, he did not mention Taiwan at all, even though the arms sales — and Beijing’s stern opposition to them — are believed to have been a major topic in the talks.
He said the nature of the US-China relationship was now such that “we are able to have full exchanges,” “we hear each other out” and “explore each others’ concerns.”
At the same time, however, both sides understood that over some issues there were “differences of views.”
‘CONCERNS’
The closest he came to hinting at Chinese anger over the arms sales came when he said Beijing had expressed some “concerns.”
Without mentioning the Dalai Lama by name, he said the US hoped for an “environment for dialogue in which issues like the religious and cultural interests” of Tibetans could be addressed.
Summing up his meetings, Steinberg said: “None of us expect one set of conversations to be the answer to longstanding challenges, but there is a feeling on both sides that problems can be discussed and that is what diplomacy is all about.”
AGREE TO DISAGREE
A foreign policy expert with another Washington-based think tank said later on condition of anonymity: “Clearly, there were no major advances during the Beijing meetings. The two sides seem to have agreed to disagree about arms sales to Taiwan and perhaps that is the most that anyone could hope for, but it’s not very much.”
“Despite Steinberg’s reference to a ‘very productive exchange,’ I did not detect much optimism,” the expert said. “He was being decidedly low key.”
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS