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US diplomat slams China for opposing
visit to Taiwan
By Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff reporter, with AP
American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Raymond Burghardt on Tuesday said Chinese
pressure on Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to cancel a visit to Taiwan was
¡§unacceptable¡¨ and inconsistent with Beijing¡¦s claims it sought to improve ties
with Taipei.
Nixon last month scrapped plans to visit Taiwan after a Chicago-based Chinese
diplomat warned the trip could imperil a project by China to turn St Louis
airport into a hub for Chinese cargo in the US.
Over the previous two years, eight US governors have visited Taiwan.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei, Burghardt called China¡¦s actions ¡§absolutely
unacceptable.¡¨
¡§My impression is that most American politicians, American governors, they don¡¦t
like to be pushed around that way,¡¨ he said.
Burghardt said China¡¦s actions were at odds with the improvements in relations
across the Taiwan Strait that have taken place since President Ma Ying-jeou (°¨^)
came into office in May 2008.
¡§It¡¦s ... inconsistent with all their professions of desire to improve
cross-strait relations to treat Taiwan that way,¡¨ Burghardt said. ¡§I think it¡¦s
a serious matter.¡¨
Turning to Taiwan¡¦s international space, Burghardt said the US ¡§takes seriously¡¨
Taipei¡¦s participation in international organizations and ¡§will continue to work
for ways to help Taiwan improve its international representation.¡¨
¡§I think whatever we do, it probably never looks like enough. But as I said,
there is a lot [that] goes on, and we do a lot,¡¨ he said
Emphasizing his point, Burghardt pointed to an instance in which Washington
helped Taiwan participate in an international event ¡X a case he said had not
been made public up until now.
Working behind the scenes, the US succeeded in having the online registration
system for the UN Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico, last month
changed so that a Taiwanese NGO delegation could register and participate
without having to do so under ¡§one China,¡¨ he said.
Prior to the change, Burghardt said, the online registration system only had one
option ¡X one that linked Taiwan to China.
¡§You can rest assured that we are the best friend Taiwan has,¡¨ he said.
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