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Top US diplomat touts
Taiwan ties as ¡¥very important¡¦
By William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON
A top US diplomat on Monday said that Washington had ¡§very important¡¨ unofficial
relations with Taiwan, but sidestepped specific questions on recent
developments.
US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel
refused to say if anyone from the US Department of State would meet with
President Ma Ying-jeou (°¨^¤E) when he makes a stopover in New York next month.
Russel also avoided a question about what the State Department would do to
enable Taiwan¡¦s participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Russel, appointed to replace his popular predecessor, Kurt Campbell, who left to
set up a private consultancy, made the comments at a briefing of the foreign
press in his first public appearance since taking over from Campbell a week ago.
He said that he planned to travel a lot through the ¡§immensely important¡¨ region
of East Asia and that US President Barack Obama would allow ¡§no let-up, no
back-tracking, no diminution¡¨ in commitments to ¡§rebalance¡¨ US interests and
investments in the region.
After mentioning ¡§major allies¡¨ Japan and South Korea and the ¡§hugely
consequential relationship¡¨ with China, Russel also praised Taiwan¡¦s democracy
and economy.
¡§I think it is fair to say our relationships in the area are very strong,¡¨ he
said.
Russel said East Asia was experiencing an ¡§extraordinary period¡¨ of growth and
prosperity and that sustaining it was central to US interests.
When he was asked if the US government approving Taipei¡¦s request for Ma to stop
over in New York during an upcoming journey to Latin America and the Caribbean
reflected the current status of US-Taiwan relations, Russel said: ¡§The starting
point for any conversation about US policy in Taiwan is that it is consistent.¡¨
He said the ¡§one China¡¨ policy had been sustained through eight administrations
and that it was based on the three communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act.
¡§It will continue to inform our approach,¡¨ he said.
¡§We respect and admire the progress that has been made in cross-strait relations
under President Ma Ying-jeou¡¦s tenure,¡¨ Russel added.
He said that the dialogue fostered by Ma had provided benefits to people on both
sides of the Taiwan Strait and to the rest of the region ¡§in terms of stability
and prosperity.¡¨
However, Russel stressed that progress in cross-strait relations could only go
as fast as the people of Taiwan would accept it to.
When asked about legislation recently signed by Obama supporting Taiwan¡¦s
participation in the ICAO and for details about what the State Department would
do to support this bid, Russel said Washington supported Taipei¡¦s participation
in international organizations where statehood is not a requirement.
¡§We welcome and encourage participation where membership is not mandatory and we
will continue to support Taiwan¡¦s participation,¡¨ he said.
However, Russel declined to explain this stance in greater detail.
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