China’s military strategy for Taiwan is the most important factor in determining whether cross-strait relations will continue to grow, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Daniel Russel said yesterday.
To make significant progress in cross-strait relations, Taiwanese need to have confidence “that they are secure and that they are not vulnerable to military coercion or immediate military threat,” Russel said.
The US has a role to play in that context by helping Taiwan “maintain a legitimate and credible defense capability” that is consistent with US security commitments to meet Taiwan’s defense needs, Russel said.
Russel said the US commitment is “a matter of the US policy.”
“But most importantly, Beijing, in its military approach and in its military strategy, can and should help generate confidence among the people of Taiwan to allow them to continue to expand the progress” that has been made over the past years, Russel said.
The US warmly welcomes and supports the significant progress in cross-strait relations over the past years, he said.
“We think that cross-strait relations, by progressing at a pace that the people on both side are comfortable with, contribute directly and significantly to the security of the US and the region,” he said.
Russel made the remarks at a media teleconference while answering media queries from Taipei asking him why Taiwan was not invited to take part in the upcoming US-led Rim of the Pacific multinational naval exercise and why there has been no progress since former US president George W. Bush agreed to help Taiwan acquire eight diesel-electric submarines.
He did not comment on the two questions.
Taiwan is a very important economy, a very important friend of the US and a very important partner of the US on a range of issues, Russel said.
The US values its strong unofficial ties with Taiwan and appreciates the tremendous growth in the economic, trade and investment relationship, he added.
On disputes over territories in the South China Sea that have escalated tensions recently, Russel offered two suggestions.
A UN tribunal that is to begin in August provides an opportunity for China to clarify its legal basis for its maritime claims in the South China Sea and to remove ambiguities regarding the claims that have fueled tensions in the region, Russel said.
Russel said China and other South China Sea claimants should voluntarily follow the 2002 Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, for example not to occupy islets that are not currently occupied, while the concerned parties work on a long-term, binding code of conduct.
In that way they have an opportunity to ease tensions, improve the prospects of negotiations on a code of conduct and minimize the risks of dangerous incidents, he said.
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