Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) urged the US to stop arms sales to Taiwan during his informal summit with US President Barack Obama on Saturday.
At a briefing after Xi’s two-day meeting with Obama at an estate in the southern California desert, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (楊潔篪) said Xi reiterated Beijing’s stance that the Taiwan issue is of great concern to China’s 1.3 billion people.
Xi told Obama that Beijing hopes Washington will commit itself to the “one China” principle, follow the three communiques on which the two sides’ ties are based and not sell arms to Taiwan, Yang said.
Yang did not disclose how Obama responded to Xi’s request, except to say that Taiwan was the fifth of seven issues broached by Xi during his meeting with Obama.
However, Ben Rhodes, one of Obama’s national security advisers, said the US president replied that his administration clearly understood its commitment to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act, including providing defensive weapons.
Yang said that Xi also called on the US to develop a “major country” relationship with China.
“We have to stay each other’s partners, not rivals,” Yang said in describing such a relationship.
Xi told Obama that the two sides should respect each other and their choice of social system and development; seek common ground while setting aside differences; and pursue win-win situations rather than seeing things as a zero-sum game, he said.
Xi flew home after the summit ended at noon on Saturday.
In response to these developments, the Ministry of National Defense yesterday urged the US to maintain its commitment to sell defensive weapons to Taiwan.
Ministry spokesman Major General David Lo (羅紹和) said the balance of military power across the Taiwan Strait has tilted significantly in China’s favor, adding that Beijing has never ceased military preparations against Taipei.
To maintain a stable situation across the Strait, Taiwan has to continue strengthening its defensive capabilities, he said.
Lo said the ministry called on Washington to keep selling Taipei defensive arms as stipulated by the act and the “six assurances” agreed on in 1982, which would help Taiwan establish self-defensive capabilities and contribute to the maintenance of a stable Asia-Pacific region.
Lo added that the ministry appreciated the US’ long-term concern with Taiwan’s security and its insistence on making security assurances to Taiwan.
The nation’s military is currently interested in procuring eight diesel-electric submarines, F16C/D fighter jets or F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters from the US.
According to the ministry, the US has provided Taiwan with more than US$18 billion in defensive weapons systems since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office in 2008.
Separately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its appreciation of Obama’s firm stance on Taiwan-related issues a the summit.
“Taiwan has maintained strong mutual trust and smooth channels of communication with the US over the past years. The US has offered us briefings on the summit in accordance with past practice,” the foreign ministry said in a press release.
The ministry said the Republic of China government is confident that the US will continue to adhere to the pact and the “six assurances,” as well as provide Taiwan with defensive arms, it said.
Taiwan-US ties will continue to be developed under the “low-profile, zero-surprise” principle, the foreign ministry said.
It added that the developments of the summit had conformed to its expectations and a special panel would continue to analyze the meeting.
Additional reporting by Stacy Hsu and Rich Chang
This story has been corrected since it was first published.
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
‘RELATIVELY STRONG LANGUAGE’: An expert said the state department has not softened its language on China and was ‘probably a little more Taiwan supportive’ China’s latest drills near Taiwan on Monday were “brazen and irresponsible threats,” a US Department of State spokesperson said on Tuesday, while reiterating Washington’s decades-long support of Taipei. “China cannot credibly claim to be a ‘force for stability in a turbulent world’ while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan,” the unnamed spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to media queries. Washington’s enduring commitment to Taiwan will continue as it has for 45 years and the US “will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, informational and diplomatic pressure campaign,” the e-mail said. “Alongside our international partners, we firmly
KAOHSIUNG CEREMONY: The contract chipmaker is planning to build 5 fabs in the southern city to gradually expand its 2-nanometer chip capacity Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday confirmed that it plans to hold a ceremony on March 31 to unveil a capacity expansion plan for its most advanced 2-nanometer chips in Kaohsiung, demonstrating its commitment to further investment at home. The ceremony is to be hosted by TSMC cochief operating officer Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛). It did not disclose whether Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and high-ranking government officials would attend the ceremony. More details are to be released next week, it said. The chipmaker’s latest move came after its announcement earlier this month of an additional US$100 billion
COUNTERING THE PLA: While the US should reinforce its relations with partners and allies, Taiwan must invest in strengthening its defenses as well, Phillip Davidson said If influence in the Indo-Pacific region is one of the US’ core interests, then Taiwan serves as a cornerstone of US economic and security influence in the region, former US Indo-Pacific Command commander admiral Phillip Davidson said on Thursday. “China’s ... strategy is to supplant the US leadership role in the international order ... and they’ve long said ... that they intend to do that by 2050,” Davidson told the National Review Institute’s Ideas Summit in Washington. Davidson said he had previously told US Senate hearings on China’s military activities and possible threats in the Indo-Pacific region that a Chinese invasion of
RSS