Former US National Security Council senior director for Asian affairs Evan Medeiros on Wednesday slammed US President Donald Trump’s Taiwan policy, saying US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s remarks in Beijing last week showed that the administration was “flip-flopping” on the issue.
In his state visit to Beijing, Tillerson twice said the US and China have “a very positive relationship built on nonconfrontation, no conflict, mutual respect and always searching for win-win solutions.”
Tillerson’s choice of words sparked controversy in Washington policy circles and the US media, which criticized the administration for having apparently paraphrased the language of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) proposal of a “new type of major power relations.”
US Department of State spokesman Mark Toner said that Tillerson and his staff were fully aware of the phrasing of his comments and that US policy toward Taiwan has remained unchanged.
In response, Ely Ratner, former US vice president Joe Biden’s deputy national security adviser, wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post that said Trump is “not ready” to negotiate with Xi, adding that the administration should delay a planned summit in Florida for a month.
Some Japanese and South Korean diplomats have privately voiced their concerns over Tillerson’s comments in Beijing, saying the remarks appear to contradict the US’ commitment to regional allies that Tillerson had so recently affirmed during his visit to the two nations.
Former US National Security Council director for Asian affairs Michael Green said that, while Tillerson made a minor mistake, he did not endorse the Chinese proposal for “G2” relations, adding that he believes the summit would force the Trump administration to determine its China policy, so there is no reason to postpone it.
Alleged infighting in the Trump administration has further clouded the issue, making it difficult for foreign governments to confirm Trump’s strategic intentions, while his decision to go forward with the summit without appointing a full staff of experienced Asia-Pacific experts might lead to blunders.
Medeiros told reporters that Tillerson’s comments were “not a positive” development for Taiwan, and that Trump’s “erratic” policy should raise concerns in Taipei about what he thinks about the nation.
The administration of former US president Barack Obama avoided using the words of Chinese officials in their statements describing US-China relations, because such repetition might imply acceptance of Beijing’s agenda and accommodation of its interests, he added.
Repeating Chinese officials’ phrasing has the effect of reinforcing Beijing’s view that it “can shape and alter your approach,” Medeiros said.
He added that he doubts whether the Trump administration views Taiwan as crucial to long-term US interests, as the Obama administration did, or if it sees Taiwan as a bargaining chip to be traded to China when dealing with North Korea.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
RSS