The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday denied charges by a former US official that Taiwan’s China-leaning policy was steering it away from the ranks of world democracies and that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) did not have a US policy.
A report in the Taipei Times on Friday cited former US diplomat John Tkacik as testifying at a US congressional hearing that Taiwan is “moving out of the column of the community of democracies” and now “basically agrees” that it is part of China.
Tkacik also said the Ma administration had a very clear China policy, but not a US policy.
KMT spokesman Yin Wei (殷瑋) said Tkacik was wrong on both counts, calling his comments groundless and not factual.
The Ma administration’s China policy is clearly based on the principles of “no unification, no independence and no use of force” and a cross-strait understanding that there is only “one China,” with each side free to interpret what that is, Yin said.
The “one China,” Yin said, refers to the Republic of China and there is no alternative explanation.
Therefore, how can it be that “Taiwan is part of mainland China?” Yin asked.
On Tkacik’s charge that Taiwan is moving away from the community of democracies and that Ma has adopted a policy of “accommodating” Beijing, Yin said the 16 cross-strait agreements signed since Ma took office in 2008 were made in the interests of Taiwan.
He pointed to Ma’s re-election in January as clear evidence of support for the agreements.
Addressing the accusation that the Ma administration had a China policy, but not a US policy, Yin said former US president George W. Bush and US President Barack Obama have repeatedly recognized improved ties between Taiwan and China, with Obama praising the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement signed between Taiwan and China in June 2010.
Moreover, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton last year said that Taiwan was an important security and economic partner of the US, and American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Raymond Burghardt praised Ma in February for improving US-Taiwan relations during his first term, Yin said.
Taiwan’s US policy is further reflected by US$18.3 billion in arms sales offered to Taiwan, visits by senior US officials and the ongoing evaluation of Taiwan’s bid to join the US visa-waiver program, Yin said, adding that US-Taiwan ties were at their best in 60 years.
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