• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

WASHINGTON MAINTAINS CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH TAIWAN: U.S. OFFICIAL

ROC Central News Agency

2006-02-16 11:19:48

    Washington, Feb. 15 (CNA) The United States maintains effective and close communication with Taiwan and will continue that communication to make clear to Taipei that Washington's policy remains unchanged, a high-ranking U.S. State Department official said Wednesday.

    James Keith, senior advisor for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the United States has a strong friendship with Taiwan. "We have a very good, productive dialogue ongoing. I'm very confident that our messages are getting through. U.S. policy isn't changing, " Keith told reporters after a House of Representatives hearing in Washington, D.C.

    Keith was responding to questions concerning communication between Washington and Taipei in the wake of ROC President Chen Shui-bian's Jan. 29 proposal to seriously consider abolishing the National Unification Council and National Unification Guidelines.

    Speaking on the U.S. position towards the proposal two weeks ago, Keith said that Washington expects Taipei to continue to honor its commitment to maintain the cross-Taiwan Strait status quo and that it will continue to communicate with Taipei to ensure there will be "no surprises" between the two sides.

    Keith reiterated that the United States' "one-China policy" remains unchanged and that Washington does not support Taiwan independence and is opposed to any unilateral changes to the cross-strait status quo.

(By Oliver Lin and Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM/Li