The top US liaison officer for Taiwan dismissed criticism of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) assertion that Taiwan would “never” ask the US to fight for it in a war as “over-interpretation.”
Ma caused a stir when he said Taiwan would “never ask the Americans to fight for Taiwan” during an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour last week. Ma said in the interview that the risk for the US was at its lowest in 60 years, which he credited to his administration’s efforts to improve cross-strait relations.
Raymond Burghardt, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said yesterday that both the AIT and the US Department of State have stated clearly their stance on Ma’s remarks, adding that the US stance on whether it would come to the defense of Taiwan in case of a Chinese invasion has been clearly stated over the last 30 years and in the Taiwan Relations Act.
As for claims that Ma had damaged Washington’s efforts to maintain strategic ambiguity on a response to a Chinese attack on Taiwan, to the detriment of his own country, Burghardt said it was well-known in Taiwan for some observers to over-analyze and over-interpret political statements.
Burghardt made the comments on the sidelines of a seminar in Washington sponsored by the Hawaii-based East-West Center.
During the seminar, US Assistant Secretary of Defense Wallace Gregson said Asia hosts four of the world’s five largest military powers with ongoing disputes in the region that might trigger unprecedented military conflicts.
The US will address these issues in cooperation with its allies and security partners and that relationship provides the foundation for a continued US presence in the region, Gregson said.
The US will also uphold its commitment to providing a critical deterrent for its allies and security partners, he said.
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