Taiwan appears to have played a limited role in the seventh annual US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington this week.
Sources say that the US did not even raise the subject during closed-door talks.
However, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (楊潔篪) said in his publicly released closing remarks that China had “reaffirmed its principled positions on Taiwan.”
He said that China had stressed the need for the US to respect and accommodate the interests and concerns of China and “handle differences and sensitive issues with caution.”
Yang said that it was important for the US to respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and respect the development path chosen by Chinese.
Both sides said that the two days of dialogue were aimed at paving the way for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) visit to the US in September and sources said that Taiwan was certain to be on that agenda. Some Washington-based China experts expect that Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election, its likely outcome and impact, is to be raised by Xi.
Following the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, both sides also praised the US visit earlier this month of China’s Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, General Fan Changlong (范長龍).
It is understood that during his visit, Fan discussed Taiwan and urged the US to follow the “one China” policy and not to encourage moves toward Taiwanese independence. He also protested US arms sales to Taiwan, but said they would not result in a break in military-to-military relationships between the US and China.
Yang said that he and US Secretary of State John Kerry had “thorough discussions” on how to build a new model of major country relations, deepen practical cooperation, enhance China-US cooperation in the Asia Pacific, handle regional hotspots and global challenges and manage differences “in a constructive fashion.”
However, the Wall Street Journal reported that the meetings began under a cloud of “mistrust and acrimony” arising from tension over security in cyberspace and at sea.
“Top US officials issued stern admonitions about China’s behavior in cyberspace, warning it could threaten one of the most important geopolitical relationships in the world,” the newspaper said.
US Vice President Joe Biden warned China to keep international waterways open for trade and voiced concerns about China’s reclamation work in the South China Sea.
As the talks opened, Biden said: “Responsible countries adhere to international law and work together to keep international sea lanes open for unimpaired commerce. The notion of sea lanes being open and protected is even more crucial today than any time in human history, because of the interconnectedness of the world.”
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by