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Cross-strait ties
affect the world: former AIT head
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Former American Institute in
Taiwan (AIT) director William Stanton, right, poses for a photograph with former
Democratic Progressive Party chairperson Tsai Ing-wen after delivering a speech
at a forum in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Taiwan’s military and economic strategic
significance should not be underestimated as cross-strait relations have a
serious impact not only in Asia, but the rest of the world, former American
Institute in Taiwan (AIT) director William Stanton said in Taipei yesterday.
China is interested in Taiwan because of its geographic location in the first
island chain, a key region for Chinese military projection and a strategically
important area close to the East China Sea and the South China Sea, Stanton
said.
China is interested in taking Taiwan because of “where it is, not what it is,”
Stanton said, adding that Taiwan’s east coast also provides access to the
Pacific for China’s submarines.
Stanton, who now lives in Taiwan as a permanent resident and serves as director
of National Tsing Hua University’s Center for Asia Policy, delivered the speech
at a forum organized by the Thinking Taiwan Foundation, which was founded by
former Democratic Progressive Party chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
The retired US diplomat encouraged Taiwan to integrate itself with its trading
partners by joining regional economic agreements and to reach out to improve its
relations with other countries so it would not be overdependent on China’s
economy.
Stanton said it is “less likely” that Washington would assist Taiwan in the wake
of a Chinese invasion, but as long as the consensus is maintaining the “status
quo,” the cross-strait situation would not change.
The former director said the US has not been using Taiwan as a bargaining chip
in its engagements with China and that Washington would not “just walk away,”
but it is imperative for Taiwan to continue to have maximum contacts with
officials in Washington.
Stanton declined to comment on President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) comments on
Thursday, in which he described cross-strait relations as “not international
relations.”
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