The US will not merely look on if China repeats its 1996 military threats in the runup to the March presidential election, according to former US Congressman Stephen Solarz.
Solarz made the comments yesterday in Taiwan while attending a two-day board meeting of the International Crisis Group (ICG), which closed yesterday.
Solarz said the upcoming election will have much historical significance for Taiwan, and the US will not simply look on if China tries to use military force to influence the outcome.
Solarz said Taiwan's successful experiment with democracy should be attributed to three factors: pro-democracy activists, the willingness of the government to share power and international support.
Solarz is a deputy chair of ICG, a London-based think thank conducting preventive diplomacy in international flashpoint regions. The group is now focusing on Indonesia, the Balkans and central Africa, among other regions.
Solarz received a decoration from President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) yesterday for his contribution to Taiwan's political development.
A long-time supporter of Taiwan's democratic and human rights movement, Solarz is known for his harsh criticism of the KMT's iron-fisted rule during the martial law era.
Solarz also praised Lee for not seeking another presidential term and defended Lee's role in designating a "successor" to run as the KMT's presidential candidate. Selecting a successor for the candidacy is within Lee's remit and does not violate democratic principles, Solarz said.
At the ICG's meeting yesterday, the group's chairperson Gareth Evans said the group had chosen Taiwan as the venue for its board meeting simply because Taiwan is one of its donors.
The choice had nothing to do with Taiwan's presidential election and possible threats from Beijing, Evans said.
Evans said that he expects no major change of direction in Taiwan's China policy after the election because the electorate already has a clear consensus on the issue.
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