Taiwan appears to have played a limited role in the seventh annual US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington this week.
Sources say that the US did not even raise the subject during closed-door talks.
However, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (楊潔篪) said in his publicly released closing remarks that China had “reaffirmed its principled positions on Taiwan.”
He said that China had stressed the need for the US to respect and accommodate the interests and concerns of China and “handle differences and sensitive issues with caution.”
Yang said that it was important for the US to respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and respect the development path chosen by Chinese.
Both sides said that the two days of dialogue were aimed at paving the way for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) visit to the US in September and sources said that Taiwan was certain to be on that agenda. Some Washington-based China experts expect that Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election, its likely outcome and impact, is to be raised by Xi.
Following the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, both sides also praised the US visit earlier this month of China’s Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, General Fan Changlong (范長龍).
It is understood that during his visit, Fan discussed Taiwan and urged the US to follow the “one China” policy and not to encourage moves toward Taiwanese independence. He also protested US arms sales to Taiwan, but said they would not result in a break in military-to-military relationships between the US and China.
Yang said that he and US Secretary of State John Kerry had “thorough discussions” on how to build a new model of major country relations, deepen practical cooperation, enhance China-US cooperation in the Asia Pacific, handle regional hotspots and global challenges and manage differences “in a constructive fashion.”
However, the Wall Street Journal reported that the meetings began under a cloud of “mistrust and acrimony” arising from tension over security in cyberspace and at sea.
“Top US officials issued stern admonitions about China’s behavior in cyberspace, warning it could threaten one of the most important geopolitical relationships in the world,” the newspaper said.
US Vice President Joe Biden warned China to keep international waterways open for trade and voiced concerns about China’s reclamation work in the South China Sea.
As the talks opened, Biden said: “Responsible countries adhere to international law and work together to keep international sea lanes open for unimpaired commerce. The notion of sea lanes being open and protected is even more crucial today than any time in human history, because of the interconnectedness of the world.”
‘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
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS