A visit by former US deputy secretary of state Bill Burns following today’s presidential and legislative elections was scheduled in accordance with customary practices and is aimed at expressing the US’ support for Taiwan’s democracy, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) spokesperson Sonia Urbom said yesterday.
“As we have done previously following a Taiwanese presidential election, the US government has asked a senior statesman to travel in his private capacity to Taiwan,” Urbom said.
Burns, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, is to arrive in Taipei tomorrow, accompanied by AIT Chairman Ray Burghardt, Urbom said.
She made the remarks hours after the Central News Agency reported that Burns is to visit Taiwan after the elections to meet with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and convey the US’ messages to the president-elect.
That the US has also sent US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken on a week-long trip to China and three other Asian countries that began on Thursday indicates it has launched a high-level communication initiative to stabilize ties across the Taiwan Strait, the report said.
Urbom did not give a direct answer when asked whether Burns would meet with the president-elect, saying he would meet with leading political figures.
Ma’s schedule for the following three days shows that he is to meet with Burns on Monday.
Burns and Burghardt are to convey the US’ “strong support” for Taiwan’s vibrant democracy, continued prosperity and stability, as well as its long-standing interest in cross-strait peace and stability, Urbom said.
“I anticipate that Ambassador Burns will speak with authorities about the importance the US places on its relationship with Taiwan, continued cross-strait peace and stability and a smooth transition to a new administration,” Urbom said.
It is customary for the US government to send an envoy to Taiwan after a presidential election, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Eleanor Wang (王珮玲) said.
Meanwhile, during a regular press briefing in Washington, US Department of State spokesperson John Kirby was asked if there were concerns that the Taiwanese election would affect cross-strait relations and US policy.
“We’re not going to talk about the internal politics of a country,” he said.
“We would expect, like we expect from other elections, that the Taiwanese people are able to express their views through the ballot box and that the elections are fair and transparent. That’s about all we would say about that,” he added.
A member of the press said that — counter to US policy — Kirby had just referred to Taiwan as a “country.”
“As soon as I say something like that and he looks up from his scribbling, then I know I’m gonna get it,” Kirby said, prompting laughter in the briefing room.
He was then asked directly if Taiwan was a country.
“Nothing has changed about our ‘one China’ policy — and that’s the country I was talking about,” Kirby said. “But these elections are for the Taiwanese people to speak to.”
When pressed for clarification, Kirby said: “One China, one China, one China.”
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