President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday urged Washington to sell F-16 C/D fighter jets to Taiwan when he met American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Raymond Burghardt, saying the military imbalance across the Taiwan Strait was not conducive to the development of cross-strait relations.
Burghardt visited Ma at the Presidential Office yesterday to brief him on the meeting between US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) in Washington last week.
Ma said the Obama administration finalized arms sales packages to Taiwan in January and August last year, with Washington emphasizing that the decisions were made in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and he was happy to see the US government do this.
“They also said they did not consult with China on the arms sales,” Ma said. “It is the reassurance the US authorities made after the Aug. 17 Communique [signed by the US and China] in 1982. They would not set a date for ending the arms sales, they would not hold prior consultations with mainland China, they would not play a mediation role [between Taipei and Beijing,] they would not revise the TRA nor would they alter their position regarding sovereignty over Taiwan.”
The Aug. 17 Communique was the third signed by Washington and Beijing. In it both reaffirmed statements made about Taiwan in previous communiques. Although no definitive conclusions were reached on arms sales to Taiwan, the US declared its intent to gradually decrease such sales.
Ma’s comments yesterday repeated the “Six Assurances” made by the US government in July 1982.
However, an Agence France-Press report on Jan. 29 last year quoted Obama’s national security adviser James Jones as saying that the US “will consult with China on any arms sales to Taiwan” as it places great importance on ties with Beijing
However, a CNA report on July 1 last year quoted US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip Crowley as saying that Washington “will continue to make decisions on the sale of arms to Taiwan based on the TRA and does not consult with any other country on that matter.”
While Ma said he was “happy” that the US government reaffirmed the “Six Assurances” when it agreed to sell arms to Taiwan last year, four members of the US House of Representatives urged Obama to reaffirm the US security commitment to Taiwan in a letter before the Obama-Hu meeting.
At a different setting yesterday, Ma said that both sides of the Strait should refrain from resolving problems militarily.
Speaking at the Ministry of National Defense, Ma said he did not want to see yan huang zisun (炎黃子孫, or descendants of emperors Yan and Huang) resort to military action again to settle disputes.
“In fact, such a phase has already passed,” he said. “I hope the two sides can find a concrete measure to resolve issues through deeper exchanges and under the guidance of the wisdom of Chinese culture. It is the direction the Chinese nation should concertedly take.”
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS