Outgoing US Secretary of Defense William Cohen has urged Taiwan and the mainland to "lower the rhetoric" on cross-strait relations and seek greater commercial relations, saying that if they do so they can "bridge those differences" that separate them.
In what amounted to a valedictory address before the National Press Club in Washington, Cohen said he received a personal assurance from Chinese President Jiang Zemin last summer that "We don't intend to use force against Taiwan."
While Jiang also said that China will "reserve the right to do so," Cohen said he felt that this was a "significant statement" that represents "some change" in Beijing's position toward Taiwan.
"I will tell you, there has been some change in China's position, at least its articulation of its position vis-a-vis Taiwan," Cohen said.
Cohen said that Jiang's statements represented a position somewhat less belligerent than that which was articulated by Beijing earlier in the year in its major defense white paper.
In that document, Beijing said essentially it would attack Taiwan under three conditions, one of which was if Taipei drags its feet indefinitely on getting cross-strait talks going again. That condition was seen at the time as a new demand on Taipei.
"In coming years, I think that the United States has to maintain the posture [that] we support the `one China' policy, we support the three communiques, and we also support our commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act -- the defensive needs of Taiwan," said Cohen, a Republican in a Democratic administration, and who has retained good ties to President-elect Bush's Cabinet choices and key aides.
"So, it's important that we articulate our commitment to Taiwan, the Taiwan Relations Act, even as we support a `one China' policy," he said.
The US has a "critical interest in seeing to it that we have a durable and stable relationship with China and a peaceful Chinese approach to Taiwan," Cohen said.
"It's why we have been pursuing military-to-military contacts that reduce the chance of misunderstanding and miscalculation ... I continue to underscore the commitment to base our future security on a coherent, comprehensive, and constructive approach to China," said Cohen.
His successor-apparent, Defense Secretary-designate Donald Rumsfeld was expected to reveal at least basic elements of the new administration's military posture toward China and Taiwan today.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique