Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DECISION ON WHETHER U.S. DEFENDS TAIWAN UP TO PRESIDENT: U.S. GENERAL

ROC Central News Agency

2005-03-21 12:28:09

    Washington, March 20 (CNA) It's up to the U.S. president to decide whether the United States will defend Taiwan if China attacks the island, a top U.S. military official said Sunday.

    Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the comments while responding to questions in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" program.

    Asked whether the United States would defend Taiwan if Beijing deemed it necessary to use "non-pacific means" against Taiwan as is authorized in China's recently enacted Anti-Secession Law, Myers said: "Obviously, the president makes that policy and makes those decisions, and the military will do what we have to do."

    Pointing to the fact that President George W. Bush has stated that there should be no change in the Taiwan Strait status quo by force by either side, the general said: "Clearly, its not in anybody's interest to settle this by force."

    The program also showed a videotape of President Bush's previous remarks relating to the U.S. stance on defending Taiwan. The president said in 2001 that the United States has an obligation to defend Taiwan and that it would do "whatever it took to help Taiwan defend herself, that's our policy."

(By Oliver Lin and P.C. Tang)

Enditem/Li