US Senator Max Baucus, US President Barack Obama’s nominee to be ambassador to China, said on Tuesday that he would “encourage China to reduce military deployments aimed at Taiwan.”
The six-term Democrat from Montana told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee that he would “make clear” to the Chinese leadership that the US welcomes continued progress in cross-strait relations and is looking for Beijing to “pursue a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues.”
At a hearing called to review his nomination, Baucus indicated that he would take a hard line on commercial and security disputes, saying that he would tell the Chinese leadership: “Uh-uh, we won’t be taken advantage of.”
The 72-year-old Baucus is expected to be quickly confirmed.
“I will urge China’s leaders to protect the universal human rights and the freedoms of all its citizens, including ethnic and religious minorities,” he said. “I’ll call on Chinese authorities to reduce tensions in Tibet and Xinjiang, and restart substantive talks with the Dalai Lama or his representatives without preconditions.”
He said it was imperative for the US to be deeply involved in the Asia-Pacific region, but that Washington should be “very wary” of Chinese references to “core interests.”
China’s focus on these “core interests” — such as Taiwan and the South China Sea — suggested that Beijing wanted to take care of its part of the world without US participation, he said.
“That is not an approach that makes sense to me,” he said.
Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez said he appreciated Baucus’ remarks that he would stand up “for our principles” on issues such as Taiwan, human rights and Tibet.
Senator Marco Rubio said there were some real challenges ahead as China tried to persuade the US to “erode or abandon” regional commitments to Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines.
As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Baucus led the push to enact free-trade agreements with 11 countries, including Singapore and South Korea.
He said that he would have two “overarching goals” as ambassador.
The first would be to develop the economic relationship in a way that benefited US businesses and workers.
The second would be to partner with China as it emerges as a global power and to encourage it to act responsibly in resolving international disputes, respecting human rights and protecting the environment, he said.
“As China emerges on the global stage, it has the responsibility to contribute more to preserving the regional and global security that has enabled its rise,” he said.
“Countries in the Asia-Pacific [region] have expressed concerns about China’s pursuit of its territorial claims and maritime disputes,” Baucus said.
“I will urge China to follow international law on maritime issues and other international standards, and stress that all sides must work together to manage and resolve sovereignty disputes without coercion or use of force,” he said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned