The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday played down the absence of an endorsement of the Taiwan Relations Act in the US Democratic Party's campaign book for the presidential election, saying that the law would be followed no matter which party was in power.
US Democratic presidential candidate Senator John Kerry and his vice presidential running mate, Senator John Edwards, have pledged to continue supplying Taiwan with defensive weapons if they are elected in November.
However, in their 252-page campaign book, Our Plan for America: Stronger at Home, Respected in the World, which was released on Monday, the Democratic hopefuls did not specifically endorse the Act, on which the arms-sales pledge is based.
Ministry spokesman Richard Shih (
"The book gives only general comments on other foreign-affairs matters. On the China-Taiwan problem, it says that the cross-strait issue should be resolved through peaceful means," Shih said.
He said the book's reference to cross-strait affairs "displays the Democratic Party's friendliness toward Taiwan."
"The Democratic Party tried to be concise when stating its policies in the campaign book. That is why this year's campaign book is much shorter than in 2000," he added.
Shih said that the Act is a US law, and that although the campaign book did not mention the document, the Democratic Party still had to abide by the law if it wins the presidential election.
The US Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979. It states that the US should be able to "resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion" should Taiwan be attacked and that it should provide arms "of a defensive nature" to Taipei so that the latter can "maintain a self-sufficient defense capacity."
Reiterating the Democratic Party's commitment to a "one China" policy and a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, the campaign book goes further to say the candidates "support Taiwan's vibrant democracy and robust economy and will maintain America's commitment to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons."
Meanwhile, Shih declined to comment on a US Senate delegation's rebuff of China's demand in Beijing on Tuesday that Washington stop arms sales to Taiwan.
Senate leader Ted Stevens, whose delegation met a number of Chinese leaders, including Chinese President Hu Jintao (
Speaking to reporters, he pointedly said that the arms sales were a result of China's military build-up.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS