Saying that Taiwan is aware of the clarifications made by the US concerning Secretary of State Colin Powell's recent "reunification" remarks and Washington's assertion that it would stick to the "Six Assurances," Deputy Secretary-General of the Presidential Office James Huang (黃志芳) yesterday said the explanation from the US was "positive and helpful," and that the government will continue to communicate with the US via multiple channels.
Taiwan's top representative to the US confirmed yesterday that US officials reassured him that Washington will adhere to the "Six Assurances" it made in 1982 as guidelines for its policy toward Taiwan.
During a meeting with Chinese-language media in Washington, David Lee (李大維) confirmed that Randall Shriver, US deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian Affairs, told him that the US' stance on Taiwan's sovereignty has not changed and that the "Six Assurances" remain unchanged.
The Reagan administration offered its "Six Assurances" to Taiwan after it signed a joint communique on Aug. 17, 1982 with China over arms sales to Taiwan.
Lee said that he immediately contacted the State Department to express Taiwan's "grave concern" and asked for clarification after Powell made remarks regarding the cross-strait relationship in an interview with the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV Group during his Monday visit to Beijing.
In the interview, Powell said that "Taiwan is not independent. It does not enjoy sovereignty as a nation," and that the two sides should move forward to a "peaceful reunification."
According to Lee, Shriver reiterated in a "face to face" talk with him Tuesday that the "Six Assurances," particularly the fifth point -- namely, the US would not alter its position about Taiwan's sovereignty, and the question was to be decided peacefully by the parties involved themselves -- remain unchanged.
Meanwhile, Lee said that Powell clarified during an interview with Ron Insana of CNBC Wednesday that the words "peaceful reunification" should have been "peaceful resolution."
"The term of art really is to have a `peaceful resolution' of the problem. And that's the term of art, and that is our policy and remains our policy," Powell was quoted as saying to CNBC.
Lee said that he believes that Washington will formally reiterate its "Six Assurances" toward Taiwan again shortly, adding that he expected to be briefed by US officials about Powell's recent Beijing visit.
The "Six Assurances" stipulate that the US has not agreed to set a date for ending arms sales to the Republic of China (ROC); has not agreed to hold prior consultations with Beijing on arms sales to the ROC; will not play any mediation role between Taiwan and Beijing; has not agreed to revise the Taiwan Relations Act; has not altered its position regarding sovereignty of Taiwan; and will not exert pressure on Taiwan to enter into negotiations with Beijing.
Meanwhile, Lee said that actually, Powell has on many occasions during his talks with the Chinese leadership spoken favorably on behalf of Taiwan, including saying that the US remains firm in its stance on arms sales to Taiwan despite Beijing's strong opposition and that the US has continued to encourage Beijing to face squarely the goodwill that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) demonstrated toward China in his Double Ten National Day address.
‘TAIWAN-FRIENDLY’: The last time the Web site fact sheet removed the lines on the US not supporting Taiwanese independence was during the Biden administration in 2022 The US Department of State has removed a statement on its Web site that it does not support Taiwanese independence, among changes that the Taiwanese government praised yesterday as supporting Taiwan. The Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, produced by the department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, previously stated that the US opposes “any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence; and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means.” In the updated version published on Thursday, the line stating that the US does not support Taiwanese independence had been removed. The updated
‘CORRECT IDENTIFICATION’: Beginning in May, Taiwanese married to Japanese can register their home country as Taiwan in their spouse’s family record, ‘Nikkei Asia’ said The government yesterday thanked Japan for revising rules that would allow Taiwanese nationals married to Japanese citizens to list their home country as “Taiwan” in the official family record database. At present, Taiwanese have to select “China.” Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said the new rule, set to be implemented in May, would now “correctly” identify Taiwanese in Japan and help protect their rights, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The statement was released after Nikkei Asia reported the new policy earlier yesterday. The name and nationality of a non-Japanese person marrying a Japanese national is added to the
AT RISK: The council reiterated that people should seriously consider the necessity of visiting China, after Beijing passed 22 guidelines to punish ‘die-hard’ separatists The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has since Jan. 1 last year received 65 petitions regarding Taiwanese who were interrogated or detained in China, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. Fifty-two either went missing or had their personal freedoms restricted, with some put in criminal detention, while 13 were interrogated and temporarily detained, he said in a radio interview. On June 21 last year, China announced 22 guidelines to punish “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatists,” allowing Chinese courts to try people in absentia. The guidelines are uncivilized and inhumane, allowing Beijing to seize assets and issue the death penalty, with no regard for potential
‘UNITED FRONT’ FRONTS: Barring contact with Huaqiao and Jinan universities is needed to stop China targeting Taiwanese students, the education minister said Taiwan has blacklisted two Chinese universities from conducting academic exchange programs in the nation after reports that the institutes are arms of Beijing’s United Front Work Department, Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) said in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) published yesterday. China’s Huaqiao University in Xiamen and Quanzhou, as well as Jinan University in Guangzhou, which have 600 and 1,500 Taiwanese on their rolls respectively, are under direct control of the Chinese government’s political warfare branch, Cheng said, citing reports by national security officials. A comprehensive ban on Taiwanese institutions collaborating or
RSS