thedrifter
05-10-06, 07:11 PM
US official says Taiwan's independence means war for America
AFP
A top US administration official warned that if Taiwan declares independence, the United States would be drawn into a war between the island and China.
Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick gave the warning as he defended the US government against lawmakers' complaints that it had snubbed Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian by not allowing him to make a stopover in a US city this week.
Republican lawmaker Dana Rohrabacher condemned the refusal, telling a Congress hearing: "I found this treatment unsatisfactory to a democratic leader in an attempt to curry favour with dictators and gangsters in Beijing."
Zoellick stridently denied that China had any influence over the decision not to let Chen's plane make a stopover in New York or San Francisco while returning to Taiwan from a visit to Latin America this week.
"We make our own decisions. We don't clear them with China. We don't negotiate them with China," declared Zoellick.
During a hearing in which he highlighted China's "near-term military buildup" toward Taiwan, the State Department number two said that Washington had to be "very careful" in its balancing act between Taiwan and China.
"The balance is that we want to be supportive of Taiwan while we're not encouraging those that try to move toward independence.
"Because let me be very clear: Independence means war. And that means American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines."
Taiwan split from the mainland at the end of a civil war in 1949 and the communist government in Beijing considers it a rebel province and repeatedly warns it would invade if Taiwan declares independence.
The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979 but remains Taiwan's main military supplier and is committed under a law passed the same year to helping the island defend itself.
Democratic Congresswoman Diane Watson, who met Chen on the sidelines of a presidential inauguration in Costa Rica on Monday, said Chen "was hurt that our administration refused to allow his delegation to do an overnight transit stop in the United States.
"And he brought up the fact that we are dealing with China, and China is a socialist country that denies human rights to its people."
Chen said in Costa Rica that he had been offered a stopover in Alaska or Hawaii but turned it down.
The Taiwanese leader criticised the restrictions, which he blamed on pressure from China, but said ties with the United States would not be affected. "Transit is transit. Ties are ties. They should not be mixed up," he said.
Chen is the leader of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party and has been condemned several times by China.
The actions of the current Taiwanese government have unnerved Washington several times.
The latest warning from Beijing came after Chen scrapped an advisory body that handles policy on reunification with the mainland. According to Washington, Taiwan explained that the council has not been officially abolished.
President George W. Bush reaffirmed the US commitment to a "one-China" policy, which recognises Beijing as the sovereign government, during a visit last month by China's President Hu Jintao.
"We need to be able to work with Taiwan to give it the opportunity (to increase international ties), but also recognize, we're not going to change that 30-year-old system" brought about by the change in recognition, Zoellick told lawmakers.
Ellie
AFP
A top US administration official warned that if Taiwan declares independence, the United States would be drawn into a war between the island and China.
Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick gave the warning as he defended the US government against lawmakers' complaints that it had snubbed Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian by not allowing him to make a stopover in a US city this week.
Republican lawmaker Dana Rohrabacher condemned the refusal, telling a Congress hearing: "I found this treatment unsatisfactory to a democratic leader in an attempt to curry favour with dictators and gangsters in Beijing."
Zoellick stridently denied that China had any influence over the decision not to let Chen's plane make a stopover in New York or San Francisco while returning to Taiwan from a visit to Latin America this week.
"We make our own decisions. We don't clear them with China. We don't negotiate them with China," declared Zoellick.
During a hearing in which he highlighted China's "near-term military buildup" toward Taiwan, the State Department number two said that Washington had to be "very careful" in its balancing act between Taiwan and China.
"The balance is that we want to be supportive of Taiwan while we're not encouraging those that try to move toward independence.
"Because let me be very clear: Independence means war. And that means American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines."
Taiwan split from the mainland at the end of a civil war in 1949 and the communist government in Beijing considers it a rebel province and repeatedly warns it would invade if Taiwan declares independence.
The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979 but remains Taiwan's main military supplier and is committed under a law passed the same year to helping the island defend itself.
Democratic Congresswoman Diane Watson, who met Chen on the sidelines of a presidential inauguration in Costa Rica on Monday, said Chen "was hurt that our administration refused to allow his delegation to do an overnight transit stop in the United States.
"And he brought up the fact that we are dealing with China, and China is a socialist country that denies human rights to its people."
Chen said in Costa Rica that he had been offered a stopover in Alaska or Hawaii but turned it down.
The Taiwanese leader criticised the restrictions, which he blamed on pressure from China, but said ties with the United States would not be affected. "Transit is transit. Ties are ties. They should not be mixed up," he said.
Chen is the leader of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party and has been condemned several times by China.
The actions of the current Taiwanese government have unnerved Washington several times.
The latest warning from Beijing came after Chen scrapped an advisory body that handles policy on reunification with the mainland. According to Washington, Taiwan explained that the council has not been officially abolished.
President George W. Bush reaffirmed the US commitment to a "one-China" policy, which recognises Beijing as the sovereign government, during a visit last month by China's President Hu Jintao.
"We need to be able to work with Taiwan to give it the opportunity (to increase international ties), but also recognize, we're not going to change that 30-year-old system" brought about by the change in recognition, Zoellick told lawmakers.
Ellie