Obama reiterates U.S. obligation to provide Taiwan with arms
ROC Central News Agency
2013/06/09 14:00:31
Washington, June 8 (CNA) United States President Barack Obama told Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during their summit in California that the U.S. clearly understood its commitment to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act, including its obligation to provide Taiwan with arms to protect itself, an Obama aide said Saturday.
Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser to the U.S. president, said Obama made it clear to Xi that his administration maintains its 'one-China' principle based on the U.S.'s three communiques with China and the Taiwan Relations Act.
Obama also said his administration strongly supported the improvement in China's ties with Taiwan in the last few years and hoped the process would continue in a way acceptable to both sides, Rhodes said.
Taiwan was one of many issues on the agenda of the two-day Obama-Xi summit. During their talks, Xi urged Obama to follow the 'one-China' policy, adhere to the three communiques on which the two sides' ties are based and not sell arms to Taiwan, according to Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi.
King Pu-tsung, Taiwan's representative to the U.S., said after the meeting between Obama and Xi that Washington, which has adhered to its commitment to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act, had not changed its policy on Taiwan in any way.
There were no signs prior to the summit that the meeting between the two leaders would yield any changes in Washington's direction on Taiwan, but Taipei was wary of any surprises that may have emerged from the talks.
In the end, the two leaders seemed far more focused on discussing cybersecurity, with Obama confronting Xi with evidence of China's cyber thievery, and North Korea, on which the two sides appeared to find common ground, than on spending time on Taiwan.
(By Tony Liao, Oscar Wu and Maubo Chang)
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