The US Department of State on Wednesday said it was “frankly disappointed” with President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) decision to visit Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島).
The relatively strong diplomatic reaction was given by spokesman Mark Toner at a regularly scheduled news briefing.
“We view such an action as unhelpful” and it would not contribute to the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea, he said.
Photo: CNA
“We urge Taiwan and all claimants to lower tensions, to de-
escalate tensions, rather than take actions that could possibly raise them,” Toner added.
In response to questions from the Taiwanese press, Toner said that the US had been very clear about its disagreement with China building structures on South China Sea islands.
“We want to see a halt among all claimants to further land reclamation, construction of new facilities and militarization of outposts,” which would help lower tensions and create space for peaceful resolution, he said.
Asked if Ma’s trip would harm US-Taiwan relations, Toner said: “We have very strong relations with Taiwan, but sometimes we disagree on their actions.”
Toner said the US was committed to a “one China” policy and looked forward to working with president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and building stronger relations with Taiwan, but “we disagree on this particular act.”
Toner was asked why Ma could not visit an island that Taiwan had occupied for decades and why Taiwan was not included in diplomatic discussions about the South China Sea.
“I can’t speak to whether we would invite Taiwan to take part in diplomatic conversations,” he said.
Ma had “every right” to make his position clear on the South China Sea, Toner said, adding: “We just disagree with this particular action. We view it as frankly raising tensions rather than what we want to see which is de-escalation. We want to see dialogue and welcome all voices in the region weighing in on that dialogue and it is only through a diplomatic mechanism that we can successfully resolve the South China Sea.”
He said that Taiwan is a valued partner and Washington would “continue to listen to their concerns and reflect their concerns.”
Richard Fisher, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center in Alexandria, Virginia, said the US statements sounded like Washington was “throwing Taiwan into the same category of aggressor as China.”
“This may be an attempt to appear neutral and to respond to Chinese criticism that Washington is always bashing China. But criticizing Taiwan will not result in China ceasing its military base building or prevent the likelihood that it will attack other islands and turn them into Chinese military bases as well,” he said
Fisher said Taiwan had sought to differentiate its methods and objectives from China.
“It is China which is clearly seeking to obtain near total control of the South China Sea, build the capability to choke off one of the world’s most important maritime commercial life lines, isolate US allies in Asia and increase its ability to threaten Taiwan,” he said.
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
RSS