US State Department officials reiterated on Tuesday Washington's support for a peaceful resolution of cross-strait disputes in a way that is acceptable to people on both sides of the Strait.
The officials were responding to remarks made by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) on Tuesday that only the 23 million people of Taiwan have the right to decide the fate of the country and that the sovereignty of Taiwan belongs to the Taiwanese people and cannot be shared with the 1.3 billion people of China.
Christopher Hill, assistant secretary of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the US' policy on cross-strait issues is clear and has been stated on a number of occasions.
"We want these issues resolved by peaceful means. Within this context, our policy, which has been stated over and over again, is our commitment to the `one China' policy, our commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act and the three communiques," Hill told reporters after a House of Representatives hearing.
Also commenting on Chen's remarks during a regular press briefing, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that Washington's stance on these issues remains unchanged, noting that the department last reiterated this in public with a statement by his deputy Adam Ereli last week.
"We have made no changes to our long-standing policy aimed at promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region. The United States does not support Taiwan independence and opposes unilateral changes to the status quo by either Taiwan or Beijing," McCormack said.
"We support dialogue in the interest of achieving a peaceful resolution of cross-strait differences in a manner that is acceptable to the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait," he said.
Ereli stated the policy on Jan. 30 in the wake of Chen's proposals that Taiwan should seriously consider scrapping the National Unification Council and the National Unification Guidelines and seeking to join the UN under the name of Taiwan.
Chen also proposed drafting a new constitution by the end of this year.
Ereli called Chen's speech "a surprise" and claimed that Taiwan's participation in the UN under the name of Taiwan would represent a "unilateral change to the status quo."
The Thai government on Friday announced that Taiwanese would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days per entry, under the Southeast Asian country’s visa-free program starting from today. Taiwan is among 93 countries included in the Thai visa-waiver program, which has been expanded from 57 countries, with the visa-exempt entry extended from 30 to 60 days. After taking office last year, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to grant more visa waivers to foreign travelers as part of efforts to stimulate tourism. The expanded visa-waiver program was on Friday signed by Thai Minister of the Interior Anutin
BAIL APPEALS: The former vice premier was ordered to be held incommunicado despite twice being granted bail and paying a total of NT$12 million in bond The Taoyuan District Court yesterday ordered the detention of former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who is being investigated for alleged corruption while serving as Taoyuan mayor from December 2014 to December 2022, and that he be held incommunicado. The court made the ruling during a bail hearing after prosecutors appealed its bail ruling twice. Cheng on Saturday was released after posting bail of NT$5 million (US$153,818). However, after prosecutors lodged an appeal, the High Court on Monday revoked the original ruling and ordered the Taoyuan District Court to hold another bail hearing. On Tuesday, the district court granted bail to Cheng a second
PEACE AND SECURITY: China’s military ambitions present ‘the greatest strategic challenge to Japan and the world, Japan’s annual defense white paper said yesterday Japan yesterday warned that China risked escalating tensions with Taiwan with an increase in military exercises that appeared aimed in part at readying Beijing’s forces for a possible invasion. Japan’s annual assessment of security threats, including those posed by China, North Korea and Russia, comes as Taiwan closely monitors Chinese People’s Liberation Army air and sea exercises, including one with the Shandong aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. The drills are the latest in a series including maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait last year that a senior US general said would be key to any invasion. “Because of that increase in military activity,
HAN KUANG: The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers said The armed forces would for the first time test new rules of engagement (ROE) at this month’s annual Han Kuang exercises, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday. The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games, and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers told a news conference in Taipei. ROE cards would be issued to select combat troops to test their ability to function without tight control, they said. The most recent edition of the rules was published last year, they said. One of the cards’ two templates identifies enemy targets that soldiers