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Clinton praises
change in China, Taiwan relations
ARMS SALE: Sources said Beijing again pressed
the US on the issue of weapons sales to Taiwan, and that the US said sales would
continue ¡¥as needed¡¦
By William Lowther / Staff Reporter in Washington
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has praised Beijing for ¡§creating
more positive feelings¡¨ between China and Taiwan.
Clinton said she had ¡§expressed respect¡¨ for China¡¦s cross-strait economic and
other activities during the latest round of US-China Strategic and Economic
Dialogue, which was held on Monday and Tuesday in Washington.
¡§The relationship between China and Taiwan, it appears, is on a much better
basis,¡¨ she said.
While there has been no official confirmation, sources close to US President
Barack Obama¡¦s administration have said in private that China raised the issue
of US arms sales to Taiwan and repeated its usual objections. The sources said
the US acknowledged the complaint, but insisted that arms sales would continue
¡§as needed.¡¨
Despite being pressed, the US refused to say if it would sell advanced F-16
aircraft to Taiwan.
Asked specifically about arms sales to Taiwan during a TV interview, Clinton
skirted the question by saying: ¡§What we have continued to stress is that we
want to see an improvement in China-Taiwan relations and it is important for
both sides to work together.
¡§But our position has always been based on the three communiques and the Taiwan
Relations Act, and it has not changed and it will not change,¡¨ she said.
She also refused to be drawn on a question about Taiwanese independence.
¡§Our position is still the ¡¥one China¡¦ policy,¡¨ Clinton said. ¡§We don¡¦t take a
position on Taiwan elections or Taiwan political statements. That¡¦s for the
Taiwanese people. But we do believe that the more there can be cooperative
arrangements, like the recent economic agreements that were reached between
Taiwan and China, the better that is for everyone.¡¨
A joint statement issued at the close of the talks said the two sides had
discussed ¡§major bilateral, regional and global issues.¡¨
They would ¡§nurture and deepen bilateral strategic trust¡¨ and work together to
build a cooperative partnership, the statement said.
While there were no specific breakthroughs on policy, both sides agreed on a
total of 48 separate issues, including an agreement to establish a US-China
¡§consultation¡¨ on maintaining peace in the Asia-Pacific region. The first round
of the ¡§consultation¡¨ is to be held ¡§at the earliest time this year.¡¨
Taiwan was not mentioned at all in the five-page statement.
Beijing¡¦s team at the talks was headed by Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan
(¤ý§Á¤s), a top economic policymaker and State Councilor Dai Bingguo (À¹ªÃ°ê), a top
foreign-policy official. For the first time, representatives from the US and
Chinese militaries took part.
¡§What I am particularly pleased about is I believe we have developed greater
understanding of one another and more trust,¡¨ Clinton said in her TV interview.
¡§And during the course of my extensive meetings in the strategic track, I think
we have crossed a bridge so that we are willing to discuss at greater length
difficult, sensitive matters.¡¨
¡§For the first time ever, we had a special meeting that included military and
civilian officials talking about strategic security issues. We don¡¦t want
misunderstanding and miscalculation. Where we have a difference, we want to be
very clear about that difference so that there¡¦s no confusion,¡¨ she said.
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