The US made clear its displeasure over President Chen Shui-bian's (
Speaking at a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs on Sunday night, Chen said: "Taiwan will say yes to independence" and alluded to a change in the nation's official name to Taiwan, while discussing a new constitution for the country.
The only question for Taiwan, he added, was "independence or assimilation" with China.
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, when asked about Chen's comments on Monday, reiterated Washington's oft-stated non-support for independence and opposition to unilateral changes in the status quo across the strait.
He pointed to Chen's 2000 inaugural address "four noes" pledge to avoid moves related to sovereignty during his presidency and his 2004 inaugural pledge to keep sovereignty issues from any new constitution.
"Rhetoric that can raise doubts about these commitments is unhelpful," McCormack said.
McCormack later added that rhetoric that "contravened" those commitments was unhelpful.
But he avoided saying directly that Chen's remarks were unhelpful. The word "unhelpful" took on a special meaning in US-Taiwan relations after the State Department criticized China's passage of its "Anti-secession" Law in 2005 as unhelpful.
That characterization raised hackles in Taiwan, where it was felt that Washington had been too tame on a law that legitimized a military attack on Taiwan whenever the powers in Beijing felt it was justified.
In his regular press briefing, McCormack underscored the US role in creating the "four noes" and US expectations that they would survive after Chen's term ends.
"Inasmuch as these commitments flow from our policy requirements and our policy statements, [we expect] that they would continue to be abided by" future Taiwan presidents, he said.
While McCormack declined to directly criticize Chen, he also refused to criticize China's military expansion and threats to Taiwan, despite the fact that Beijing has an estimated 1,000 ballistic and cruise missiles aimed at Taiwan and continues a rapid military expansion aimed mainly at Taiwan.
"We have spoken to the Chinese military buildup separately," he said.
"Our position on that is well-known. We believe that any actions that would destabilize the status quo or threaten that status quo are not helpful and we would ask the parties to refrain from such activities," he said in answer to a question.
A department official later expanded on that statement, saying that the US opposed changes in the status quo "by either Taipei or Beijing," and that "statements and actions by either side that can raise tensions and threaten to undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."
The official also described Chen's 2000 pledge on the "four noes" and his 2004 inaugural pledge to exclude issues related to sovereignty from any reforms to the constitution as the "cornerstone of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."
In answer to a question, McCormack urged Chen to "make it clear" what his policy was and to make sure that "he continues to adhere to his previous commitments."
He also said Chen's adherence to his previous commitments "is a test of leadership, dependability and statesmanship, and his ability to protect Taiwan's own interests, its relations with others and to maintain peace and stability in the Strait."
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as