Director of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Wang Yi (王毅) ended a mid-week visit to Washington by urging US President Barack Obama to stop selling arms to Taiwan.
Sources say that he argued the arms sales could only damage cross-strait relations and harm Sino-US ties.
While both sides were anxious to avoid even the appearance of disagreement, US officials said later that the State Department had taken a firm stand and refused to make any concessions on the issue.
Wang’s meetings were at the highest level, signaling that Taiwan remains a top priority within the administration.
Wang talked with Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg on Wednesday and with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Thursday. He also talked with the National Security Council’s Senior Director of Asian Affairs Jeff Bader.
“This, again, underscores ongoing consultations that we have on a variety of regional security issues,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said.
Asked if Wang had delivered a “major message” from Beijing, Crowley said: “I don’t know that we have a major message. We have certainly encouraged dialogue between China and Taiwan. It is in our interest, we believe it’s in China’s interest, to develop a sustainable relationship between the two.”
Pressed to address the talks between Wang and the US on arms sales to Taiwan, Crowley said: “Well, first of all, we follow our law, and our activities in that area are guided by the Taiwan Relations Act. We fully understand that our support to provide for — help provide for — Taiwan’s legitimate defensive needs is an issue for China. I wouldn’t be surprised if we — if that was part of the discussion.”
Wang arrived in New York on Tuesday and attended a reception for Chinese and Taiwanese nationals living in the city before he flew to Washington the next day.
China’s Xinhua News Agency reported that while in Washington, Wang told the Obama administration that he hoped the US would continue to stand firm on its one China policy, abide by the principles of the three China-US joint communiques and support the peaceful development of cross-strait ties.
“During the meetings, Wang also expressed China’s solemn position on US arms sales to Taiwan,” the agency said.
In a speech given at the New York reception Wang said that deepening economic cooperation was still a priority for the stable development of cross-strait relations.
“Moreover, people-to-people exchanges in such fields as culture and education shall also be enhanced in a healthy and orderly manner. The cross-strait relationship is still facing many unsolved disputes and conflicts as well as new challenges,” he said. “Both sides need to build mutual trust, seek common ground while shelving differences and disputes and strive to create win-win results which is a guarantee for the stable development of ties.”
According to Xinhua, Wang stressed that opposing “the secessionist activities of the Taiwan independence forces and sticking with the 1992 consensus” is the basis for building mutual trust.
“We must send a clear message: We oppose Taiwan independence in various forms and we must take a firm stand to maintain the hard-earned good situation in cross-strait relations,” Wang said.
As previously reported in the Taipei Times, Wang said that both sides had agreed to tackle the easier, economic issues first, but that this was not absolute, because some seemingly easy issues were difficult and some economic issues were political.
The Mainland Affairs Council said later that Taipei and Beijing had “touched” on political issues, but said all cross-strait agreements signed over the past two years had been economic in nature.
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS