U.S. promises to continue arms sales to Taiwan: foreign ministry
ROC Central News Agency
2013/08/22 15:59:08
Taipei, Aug. 22 (CNA) The United States has reiterated that it will continue the sale of defensive arms to Taiwan, a Taiwanese foreign ministry official said Thursday, following reports that the U.S. may form a task force with China to discuss, among other issues, weapons sales to Taiwan.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Anna Kao said at a news briefing that Washington reaffirmed that it will continue its arms sales to Taiwan under the terms of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and the Six Assurances.
Kao's remarks came after Chinese media reported that the U.S. had given a "positive response" to a proposal to discuss Taiwan arms sales with China.
The Chinese media attributed the information to Guan Youfei, a Chinese defense official who spoke to Chinese journalists Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
The previous day, China's Defense Minister Chang Wanquan met with U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel as part of his U.S. visit that began Aug. 16. Guan accompanied Chang on the visit.
Guan reportedly said that Taiwan arms sales will be one of three points of discussion between the U.S. and China in a proposed joint problem-solving panel.
But Kao said that the U.S. briefed Taiwan on the issues discussed during the meeting with China, as is customary, and said arms sales to Taiwan was not among the topics discussed.
The U.S. also denied the media reports, saying they were "not true," she added.
The officials from Washington and Beijing discussed "issues of mutual concern" during the meeting, Kao said, citing information received in the briefing.
"We urge Washington to continue selling weapons to Taipei, in line with the TRA and the six assurances, to help maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," she said.
"This is also in line with the security and economic partnership between Taiwan and the U.S.," she added.
Echoing the foreign ministry's remarks, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said the reports that the U.S. and China will set up a working group to discuss the issue of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan "are untrue."
China has been pushing for military modernization in recent years and has not renounced the use of force against Taiwan, the defense ministry noted. Taiwan's strong self defense capability is conducive to cross-strait peace and gives Taiwan the ability to negotiate with China on an equal footing, the ministry said.
The defense ministry said it believes that the U.S. will help Taiwan to improve its self defense capabilities.
Since President Ma Ying-jeou first took office in May 2008, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have reached US$18.3 billion, which indicates strong mutual trust, the MND said.
Meanwhile, an unnamed Pentagon official said Wednesday in Washington that American and Chinese defense officials plan to set up a joint task force to deal with issues of mutual concern, but weapons sales to Taiwan will not be part of the agenda.
"I believe that the two sides, the U.S. and China, agreed to set up working groups to discuss issues of mutual concern. But I have not heard of any specific working group on arms sales to Taiwan being established as of now," said the Defense Department official.
The task force will focus on crime prevention, particularly in regard to arms proliferation, piracy and online crime, the official said.
The official also said that the U.S.'s commitment to upholding the TRA remains unchanged.
The TRA, enacted in 1979 after the U.S. severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China, obliges the U.S. to help Taiwan defend itself.
In 1982, then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan offered Taiwan six assurances, which included that the U.S. will not set a date for termination of arms sales to Taiwan; will not alter the terms of the TRA; and will not consult with China before making decisions about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
(By Tony Liao, Sofia Wu and Elaine Hou)
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