Maintaining the status quo benefits Taiwan, China, U.S.: MND
ROC Central News Agency
2016/05/14 22:30:50
Taipei, May 14 (CNA) Maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait is in the interest of Taiwan, China and the United States, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Saturday, in response to a Pentagon report released a day earlier.
In the U.S. Department of Defense's annual report on China's military power to Congress, the department said China's continued efforts to develop and deploy military capabilities intended to coerce or invade Taiwan have posed "major challenges" to Taiwan's security.
The report also said that the U.S. "opposes any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait by either side and does not support Taiwan independence" and "continues to support the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues in a manner, scope, and pace acceptable to the people on both sides."
In response, MND spokesman Maj. Gen. Luo Shou-he (羅紹和) cited the Pentagon's report in 2015 as saying that the "formal declaration of Taiwan independence" and "undefined moves toward Taiwan independence" were two of the circumstances under which China had warned it would use force against Taiwan.
Therefore, the best way to stabilize cross-strait relations is by maintaining the status quo of "no unification, no independence and no use of force," Luo told reporters.
Luo said he believes the new Taiwanese government has the wisdom to handle cross-strait issues, and will not take actions that would create concern or doubt for the United States.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, thanked the United States on Saturday for paying close attention to Taiwan's national security and for keeping its promises as stated in the Taiwan Relations Act.
(By Claudia Liu and Christie Chen)
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