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Top AIT official dismisses criticism of
Ma¡¦s remarks
STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA, WASHINGTON
Saturday, May 08, 2010, Page 3
The top US liaison officer for Taiwan dismissed criticism of President Ma Ying-jeou¡¦s
(°¨^¤E) assertion that Taiwan would ¡§never¡¨ ask the US to fight for it in a war as
¡§over-interpretation.¡¨
Ma caused a stir when he said Taiwan would ¡§never ask the Americans to fight for
Taiwan¡¨ during an interview with CNN¡¦s Christiane Amanpour last week. Ma said in
the interview that the risk for the US was at its lowest in 60 years, which he
credited to his administration¡¦s efforts to improve cross-strait relations.
Raymond Burghardt, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said
yesterday that both the AIT and the US Department of State have stated clearly
their stance on Ma¡¦s remarks, adding that the US stance on whether it would come
to the defense of Taiwan in case of a Chinese invasion has been clearly stated
over the last 30 years and in the Taiwan Relations Act.
As for claims that Ma had damaged Washington¡¦s efforts to maintain strategic
ambiguity on a response to a Chinese attack on Taiwan, to the detriment of his
own country, Burghardt said it was well-known in Taiwan for some observers to
over-analyze and over-interpret political statements.
Burghardt made the comments on the sidelines of a seminar in Washington
sponsored by the Hawaii-based East-West Center.
During the seminar, US Assistant Secretary of Defense Wallace Gregson said Asia
hosts four of the world¡¦s five largest military powers with ongoing disputes in
the region that might trigger unprecedented military conflicts.
The US will address these issues in cooperation with its allies and security
partners and that relationship provides the foundation for a continued US
presence in the region, Gregson said.
The US will also uphold its commitment to providing a critical deterrent for its
allies and security partners, he said.
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