The presence of the US research vessel Thomas G. Thompson in Kaohsiung is unrelated to Taiwan-US military cooperation, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning.
Asked by reporters if he is afraid that increased cooperation between the US and Taiwan would anger China, Wu said he is not worried about China’s reaction because the Thomas G. Thompson is a research vessel, and this is not the first time it has visited Taiwan.
The ship conducts research on the Earth’s atmosphere, he added.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The presence of the US ship, which the Taiwan International Ports Corp (TIPC) said dropped anchor in the Port of Kaohsiung on Monday morning, fueled speculation about increased Taiwan-US military partnership after the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2018 opened up the possibility of mutual visits between Taiwanese and US vessels, and rumors of a US naval exercise in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea next month emerged.
The Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday also denied speculation that the US vessel is in Kaohsiung for military reasons.
“Public speculation [over the matter] is misplaced,” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Major General Chen Chung-chi (陳中吉) said.
“This is a pure and simple scientific research mission,” he added.
While the Thomas G. Thompson is owned by the US Office of Naval Research, it is operated by the University of Washington for academic research, Minister of National Defense Yen De-fa (嚴德發) said at a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan later that day.
The vessel, which has visited Taiwan four times since its maiden voyage in April, is expected to depart for Australia at 6am today, TIPC said.
While questioning Wu, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) cited issues raised at a forum on Tuesday and, along with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀), voiced concerns that the government is “taking sides” and “sucking up to the US” when it comes to foreign policy.
Hosted by the National Policy Foundation, the forum discussed the evolution of US-China relations and the foreign policy of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration, with former minister of foreign affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) urging the government not to “cross China’s red line through the US.”
The government is neither “sucking up to the US” nor “taking sides,” Wu said.
The government makes foreign policy decisions based on Taiwan’s interests, he said.
Wu also addressed Beijing’s alleged attempt to prevent Taiwan from donating US$1 million to the WHO.
“[The Ministry of Foreign Affairs] is indeed concerned about this matter,” he said.
Taiwan wants to contribute to the world, but its attempts to do so are often blocked by China, he said, adding that he hoped Taiwan could overcome Chinese obstruction and contribute more to the world.
At a routine news conference in Beijing yesterday, Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) said that China strongly opposes any form of official interaction and military contact between the US and Taiwan,
In response to reports about a US military exercise next month, Ma said the “Taiwan problem” concerns Chinese sovereignty and the completeness of Chinese territory.
It involves China’s core interests, he said, adding that Beijing’s determination to preserve the integrity of China’s sovereignty and territory is unwavering.
He advised “relevant parties” to act carefully to prevent damaging the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Additional reporting by CNA
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