Neither the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was able to confirm that US President Barack Obama recently expressed the US’ stance on Taiwanese independence to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), but President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said that Obama has mentioned to Xi that the US does not support the nation’s independence.
Ma told the Nikkei Asian Review in an interview on Thursday that: “President Barack Obama also mentioned during the summit that the US is happy to see relations between the two sides across the Taiwan Strait improve, whilst it does not support Taiwan’s independence,” according to the English excerpts provided by the Nikkei and a Chinese version published on the Presidential Office Web site.
Ma made the remarks in response to the Nikkei asking what he took from the just-concluded APEC summit, at which Obama and Xi held a bilateral meeting on Wednesday after a dinner on Tuesday night which lasted two hours.
It was not clear what Ma based his statement on, but the reported remarks by Obama were originally picked up by China’s Xinhua news agency on Wednesday, which was then cited in a report run by the Central News Agency (CNA) the same day.
The Xinhua English-language report said: “President Barack Obama reiterated on Wednesday that the United States does not support ‘independence’ of Taiwan and Tibet.”
It said Obama made the remarks when he met with Xi.
The part about the US’ stance on Tibet was attested to by the transcript of the joint news conference following the Obama-Xi meeting, available on the White House Web site, and included Obama saying: “I did note that we recognize Tibet as part of the People’s Republic of China. We are not in favor of independence.”
However, Obama saying that the US does not support Taiwanese independence was nowhere to be found in the transcript.
According to the transcript, Obama mentioned Taiwan only when he said: “I reaffirmed my strong commitment to our one-China policy based on the Three Joint Communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act. And we encourage further progress by both sides of the Taiwan Strait towards building ties, reducing tensions and promoting stability on the basis of dignity and respect.”
When asked by the Taipei Times yesterday, the AIT was unable to confirm if Obama actually told Xi that the US does not support Taiwanese independence.
AIT spokesperson Mark Zimmer said the mention of Taiwan in the transcript was Obama’s only comment on Taiwan that he was aware of.
As of press time, the ministry had not responded to the Taipei Times’ requests as to whether it had clarified with the US regarding Obama’s quote in the Xinhua report.
According to sources in diplomatic circles, Obama has never told China on the record that the US does not support Taiwanese independence, despite the position being part of the US’ Taiwan policy.
Although the US’ policy is to not support the nation’s independence, it would be something else for a US president to voice it, the sources said.
“Had Obama said that, it would mean that Beijing had pressed [Obama to do so] and got its desired result,” the sources said.
Richard Bush, former AIT chairman and director of the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at the Washington-based Brookings think tank, held a different view.
It is a matter of no consequence whether Obama told Xi that the US does not support Taiwanese independence, because it is the US’ long-held policy, Bush said.
A CNA report from Washington yesterday said that the US had briefed Taiwan on the Obama-Xi meeting according to past precedent.
Additional reporting by Nadia Tsao
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College