Bush Visit to Asia
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~2004 ; 2005-2006
McCain, Obama Endorse
Planned $6.46 Billion Taiwan Weapons Sale (Bloomberg, Oct. 9, 2008) John McCain
and Barack
Obama endorsed the U.S. Defense Department's plan to sell $6.46
billion in weapons to Taiwan, as China protests the transaction.
Rice Urged to Remove
‘Unfriendly’ Language on Taiwan
(CNA, Oct. 5, 2008)
Eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives have written to Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice calling for the removal of language unfriendly
towards Taiwan in the State Department’s directives for its overseas
agencies.
Warm Taiwan-PRC Ties a US
Concern: Report
(Taipei Times, Oct. 4, 2008) President Ma Ying-jeou’s efforts to improve relations with China will
create new challenges for US policymakers amid concerns that those efforts
could compromise US interests in the East Asian region, a new congressional
report says.
Taiwan-U.S. Relations:
Recent Developments and Their Policy Implications
Foreign Ministry Hails UN
Support from US and EU
(Taipei
Times, Sep. 20, 2008) In a statement posted on the official Web site of the
US Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, the US reiterated its
long-standing support for Taiwan’s “meaningful participation” in UN agencies
such as the WHO.
U.S. Backs Meaningful
Participation: AIT
(CNA, Sep. 19, 2008) The American Institute in
Taiwan said yesterday that the United States holds a longstanding position of
supporting Taiwan's meaningful participation in specialized agencies.
McCain, Obama Call for
Closer US-China Cooperation
(AP, Sep. 14, 2008) John McCain and Barack Obama call for closer
U.S.-Chinese cooperation on trade, the environment and nuclear proliferation
in the upcoming issue of an American business group's magazine in an unusual
effort to court voters abroad. US-China Policy under a
McCain Administration and US-China Relations under an
Obama Administration (China
Brief, AmCham-China, Sep. 2008)
Rules on Contacts with U.S.
Officials Unchanged: Young
(CNA, Sep. 12, 2008) The AIT said yesterday that
the latest guidelines issued by the U.S. State Department regarding contacts
between officials of the United States and Taiwan remained unchanged, denying
that the guidelines were stricter than before.
State Department Tightens
Curbs on Official Contacts
(Taipei
Times, Sep. 10, 2008) Contacts between US diplomatic personnel and Taiwanese
officials and representatives abroad would be strictly limited under new
guidelines the State Department has issued. US Guideline Remains
Unchanged: MOFA
U.S. Democrats Add Text on
Taiwan to Party Platform
(Taipei Times,
Aug. 22, 2008) In a late change to its election campaign platform this year,
the Democratic Party expanded its commitment to Taiwan,
adding two small but important phrases to an earlier draft that virtually
ignored the Taiwan
issue.
AIT Chairman Hints at
Taiwan-U.S. Relations Warming
(CNA, Aug. 14, 2008) AIT Chairman Raymond Burghardt strongly hinted at a dinner for President Ma
Ying-jeou in Los Angeles that bilateral relations
between Taiwan and the United States have warmed up considerably in the past
eight months.
Wang Urges Closer
U.S.-Taiwan Ties
(CNA, Jul. 29, 2008) Legislative Yuan Speaker
Wang Jin-pyng said Sunday in Washington,
D.C. that he will do his best to help
assuage U.S. concerns over
improved cross-Taiwan Strait links during his current U.S. visit.
New US President Seen
Unlikely to Confront China
(AFP, Jun. 23, 2008) Despite their rhetoric,
White House aspirants Barack Obama
and John McCain are unlikely to adopt a confrontational approach towards China
even as it flexes its military and economic muscles, experts say.
US Welcomes China-Taiwan Talks
(AFP, Jun. 13, 2008) The United States welcomed
the start Thursday of historic talks between China
and Taiwan
aimed at consolidating a dramatic rapprochement and building trade ties.
Let Taiwan Join Global
Bodies, US Tells China
(Taipei
Times, Jun. 6, 2008) Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and
Pacific Affairs Thomas Christensen said the US hoped that the Ma government’s
policies would lead Beijing to adopt a more “expansive” policy in relation to
Taiwan’s role in the world community.
US Official Praises
Cross-Strait Policy
(Taipei Times,
Jun. 2, 2008) A top US National Security Council official said on Saturday
that Washington would like to see Taipei develop better ties with Beijing and it has no concerns about any
potential negative effects of recent developments in cross-strait relations.
Bush to Leave ‘Strong and
Positive Legacy’ in Asia: Gates
(AFP, May 31, 2008) President George W. Bush will
leave a "strong and positive legacy" in Asia and his successor will
maintain engagement in the region, US Defence
Secretary Robert Gates said Saturday.
Obama Vows to Support
Taiwan’s Democracy
(CNA, May 25, 2008) U.S.
presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama has vowed that "I will do all that I can to
support Taiwan's democracy
in the years ahead," according to a Washington insider report.
No Plans to Put Marines in
Taipei: Washington
(Taipei Times, Apr. 23, 2008) The US said that there was a “possibility” that
a barracks for US Marine security forces at the planned new American
Institute in Taiwan (AIT) headquarters in Neihu, Taipei City, may be built, but there are no
current plans to station Marines at the complex.
US may post Marines at
office in Taiwan
(AP, Apr. 20, 2008) The United States may post Marines at its unofficial embassy
in Taiwan — a small but
symbolically significant change in its delicate political relationship with
Taiwan.
US Sees 'Excellent' Ties
with Taiwan under New Leader
(AFP, Mar. 29, 2008) The head of the US representative office in Taiwan said he was confident of
"excellent" relations with its incoming president but gave no word
on whether he would be granted a Washington visit.
US Committee Backs Taiwan Resolution
(Taipei Times, Feb. 29, 2008) The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs on
Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution applauding Taiwan's democracy and
upcoming presidential election, after the committee's new chairman, Howard
Berman of California, made it clear that in doing so, the committee is
staying out of the debate over the planned referendum on UN entry.
Report Urges U.S. to
Strengthen Taiwan Ties
(Taiwan News, Feb. 26, 2008) The United States government should develop a more
positive agenda with regard to Taiwan, including allowing high-level routine
dialogues between Taipei and Washington, in order to help Taiwan expand its
international participation and maintain regional stability, urged a former
U.S. senior official.
US State Adopts Three
Resolutions in Support of Taiwan
(Taipei Times, Jan. 31, 2008) The Indiana State Senate unanimously adopted
resolutions in support of Taiwan's
bid to join the UN, the WHO and to sign a free trade agreement with the US.
China "Great
Challenge" to US: Giuliani
(Agence France Presse,
Nov. 9, 2007) US 2008 Republican front-runner Rudolph Giuliani warned that emerging China was a "great
challenge" to the United States, and backed continued engagement
with Beijing. But
the former New York mayor also called for an
increase in US military strength to deter China from ever mounting a security challenge
to America, and said he
would push Beijing
faster on introducing political freedoms.
Admiral Restates U.S. Opposition to Independent Taiwan,
He Says Taipei Should Be Armed for Defense (Los Angeles Times, Aug. 22, 2007) The Navy
admiral expected to become the top U.S. military officer reiterated Tuesday
that the United States would not support a push for independence by Taiwan,
but said it will continue to urge the government in Taipei to acquire defensive
weapons to hedge against an attack by China.
US House Passes Taiwan Visit
Bill
(AFP, July 31, 2007) The US House of Representatives passed a resolution
calling for the lifting of US government curbs on visits by top Taiwanese
leaders. The United States
bars travel by senior Taiwan
leaders to Washington and allows only
transit stops in other U.S.
cities.
U.S. Frustrated by Taiwan's
Firm Stance on Referendum
(Agence France Presse,
July 11, 2007) The United States appears frustrated by longtime ally Taiwan's defiance in wanting to hold a
controversial referendum that could draw the wrath of China. Tom Lantos, head of the
House of Representatives committee on foreign affairs, called it impractical
and said that neither the administration nor Congress were in favor of it.
U.S. to Assist Taiwan with
Anti-Trafficking Efforts
(China Post, July 6, 2007) Mark
Taylor of the U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat
Trafficking in Persons said that the U.S. is committed to assisting Taiwan's
anti-trafficking efforts by providing technical expertise.
Congress Hits Out at US Bar
on Taiwan Visits
(AFP, June 26, 2007) US
lawmakers, accusing the administration of kowtowing to China, called for an end to restrictions on
visits to the United
States by high-level Taiwanese officials.
House Approves Easing Curbs
on Taiwan Contacts
(Taipei Times, Jun 23, 2007) The US House of Representatives unanimously
passed a measure that would eliminate a long list of restrictions on contacts
between Taiwan and US officials imposed by the US Department of State that
have severely crimped communications between the two sides since Washington
recognized Beijing in 1978.
US
Official Warns of PRC Arms Buildup By Charles Snyder
(Taipei Times, Mar. 29, 2007) The US State Department's chief specialist in
Taiwan affairs says the US is "deeply concerned" over China's military
actions that threaten Taiwan and has recommitted Washington defend Taiwan.
USS Ronald Reagan and USS
Lake Champlain Arrive in Sasebo, Japan (Navy News Stand, Feb.
24, 2007) USS Ronald Reagan and USS Lake Champlain arrived in Sasebo, Japan
Feb. 23 for a scheduled port visit. Currently in the U.S. 7th Fleet’s area of
responsibility as part of a surge deployment to promote peace, cooperation
and stability in the region, the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is
commanded by Rear Adm. Charles W. Martoglio.
US to Urge PRC to Reduce
Threat against Taiwan
(Taipei Times, Feb. 4, 2007) Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and
Pacific Affairs at the US State Department Thomas Christensen said in written
testimony that the US would continue to put pressure on Beijing to reduce its
military threat to Taiwan and to tell Beijing frankly that the US has a
strong interest in a secure Taiwan.
AIT Chairman Says US
Relations with Taiwan Are Strong
(Taipei Times, Jan 30, 2007) Regardless of the state of Washington-Taipei,
Washington-Beijing or cross-strait ties, US-China-Taiwan relations are
stable, American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Raymond Burghardt
said.
U.S. Policy on Taiwan an
'Inseparable Package': Rice
(CNA, Oct. 26, 2006) The U.S. government's policy on Taiwan is comprised of
an inseparable "package" including its commitment to help Taiwan
defend itself, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.
Bush Sets Defense As Space
Priority
(Washington Post, Oct. 18, 2006) President Bush has signed a new National
Space Policy that rejects future arms-control agreements that might limit U.S. flexibility in space and asserts a right
to deny access to space to anyone "hostile to U.S. interests."
US Policy Shifts Seen in
Asia under New President
(AFP, Oct. 5, 2008) Both presidential contenders,
senators Barack Obama and
John McCain, have new ideas on how to handle a resurgent China, a
nuclear-armed North Korea and address the rising Islamic militant threat in
Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Taiwan-U.S. Relations:
Recent Developments and Their Policy Implications By
Kerry Dumbaugh (Congressional
Research Service, Sep. 25, 2008) Taiwan-U.S. relations under the KMT
government face new challenges — notably the implications that President Ma’s
initiatives toward the PRC have for U.S. interests; and what role, if any,
Washington should play in Taiwan-PRC relation.
Re-engage with Aisa, US Is
Urged By Vaudine England
(BBC, Sep. 22, 2008) A report by the Asia
Foundation says the current US
administration has been overly focused on the Middle East and the next
incumbents should redirect attention toward Asia.
Small Allies, Big Headaches By Gideon Rose
(LA
Times, Sep. 21, 2008) It is only natural for small
democratic states living in bad neighborhoods to seek American support and
protection. But when the U.S.
chooses to give it to them, it should make clear that along with the backing
comes the responsibility to act prudently.
On China: A New
Approach to All of Asia By Thomas M. Donnelly
(New
York Times, Sep. 11, 2008) If there’s any single aspect of United States
foreign policy that demands “reform,” it is American policy toward China,
which hasn’t changed much since 1972.
Obama’s VP Pick of Biden
Familiar with Our Region
(Editorial, China Post, Aug. 28, 2008) Senator Biden has consistently backed maintaining U.S.
support for our government in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act.
However, Biden has also been careful not to
encourage Taiwan
independence backers here.
Taiwan’s President Moves
toward Looser Japan, U.S. Ties By Jonathan Manthorpe (Vancouver Sun, Jul. 21, 2008) An unforeseen effect of the coming
to power in Taiwan in May of president Ma Ying-jeou
and the Kuomintang party is an apparent loosening of relations with Japan and
the United States, traditionally the two guarantors of the island's
independence.
American Asia Policy and the
American Election By Lowell Dittmer
(FPRI, Jul. 18, 2008) American Asia policy
doesn’t appear likely to be seriously affected by the campaign. But the next
administration will be well advised to rethink and revise Asia
policy in the light of the emerging Sinocentric
regional integration.
Who’ll Lead in Asia? By Kim Holmes and Walter Lohman
(LA
Times, Jun. 18, 2008) U.S. leadership can no longer see
our friends and allies as followers but as full partners. We cannot allow our
leadership to be framed as a choice between American-led security and
Chinese-fed prosperity.
Taiwan: George Bush meet Abba Eban By Alan D. Romberg
(Stimson Center, Apr. 21, 2008) Ma Ying-jeou, Taiwan’s
new leader, is committed to lowering tensions with Beijing,
a long-standing U.S.
objective. But his success requires strong domestic consensus, which, in
turn, depends on open American support. Inviting Ma to Washington before his inauguration would
signify such critical backing. Instead, President Bush seems determined to
miss this unique opportunity to promote U.S. interests.
Change is Hard in Taiwan and
US By Kurt Campell
(Taipei
Times, Apr. 4, 2008) KMT’s Ma Ying-jeou was elected to be the next president reflects a deep
and profound interest in political change among the body politic. There is a
palpable sense of fatigue and dissatisfaction with the policies of outgoing
President Chen Shui-bian and a desire for a change
in direction both in policies toward China
on the one hand and the US
on the other.
U.S. Won't Play Mediator in
Cross-Strait Issue: AIT Head
(China Post, Mar. 29, 2008) Although the U.S. government would be pleased to
see further improvements in cross-strait interaction, Washington will not get
involved in how both sides of the Strait determine a basis for negotiation, a
senior U.S. official said.
Report on US-Taiwan Ties
Breaks New Ground By Lai I-chung
(Taipei
Times, Mar. 1, 2008) The report Strengthening Freedom in Asia: A Twenty-First
Century Agenda for the US-Taiwan Partnership, released by the American
Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and Armitage
International, makes a breakthrough on previous frames of thought on
cross-strait policy and employs a new model for dealing with cross-strait and
US-Taiwan relations.
US, Taiwan Must Bolster
Ties: Report
(Taipei Times, Feb 24, 2008) The relationship between the US and Taiwan has
deteriorated dangerously in recent years and both sides must take a wide
range of steps to ensure Taiwan's security and "break the negative
cycle," a joint study by a conservative think tank and an international
consulting company in Washington said in a study released. The study,
sponsored by Armitage International and the
American Enterprise Institute (AEI), takes the administration of US President
George W. Bush to task for allowing US-Taiwan relations to slip, creating
potential security perils for both countries.
U.S. Should Revive Flagging
Ties with Taiwan: Study
(Reuters, Feb. 23, 2008) U.S. neglect of its traditionally close ties with Taiwan is raising the risk of a
damaging conflict as the island faces military and diplomatic pressure from China, a study warned. To defuse
mounting tensions across the Taiwan Strait, the Taiwan Policy Working Group recommended that Washington step up official contacts with Taiwan
-- dealings that have declined in frequency and level in recent years under
Chinese pressure.
Press Briefing By Dennis Wilder, National Security
Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs (The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, Aug. 30, 2007)
We are very supportive of Taiwan on many, many fronts. We have worked
hard, for example, to make sure that they are treated appropriately in APEC as
an organization, in the World Health Organization and many other
international organizations. However, membership in the United Nations
requires statehood. Taiwan,
or the Republic of China, is not at this point a state in the international
community. The position of the United States government is that
the ROC -- Republic of China -- is an issue undecided, and it has been left
undecided, as you know, for many, many years.
UN Referendum Brings
U.S.-Taiwan Relations to a New Low By Bonnie S. Glaser (PacNet,
Pacific Forum, CSIS, July 23, 2007) From the U.S. perspective, Chen’s
initiative violates the spirit if not the letter of his “four no’s” pledge,
enunciated in 2000 when Chen was inaugurated as Taiwan’s first DPP president.
To many Americans, it seems that presidential politics is the driver and the
impact on cross-Strait security is given little, if any, consideration.
US Support for Taipei
Dwindling By Richard Halloran
(Taipei Times, July 15, 2007) US support for far-away
Taipei is dwindling, making it possible that Washington might not help defend
Taiwan against China. Consider the subtle change in US President George W.
Bush's stance.
Pro-Taiwan (But Not
Anti-China) By Randall Schriver
(Taipei Times, June 27, 2007) Too often, frustrated people in Taiwan will
interpret a US policy statement as being animated by a desire to curry favor
with Beijing. The truth of the matter is that US
policy decisions are often more complex than would be the case if the sole
objective was to please China.
It is more accurate to acknowledge the balancing act -- how to be pro-Taiwan,
but not anti-China.
Documents Show U.S. Pressure
on Taiwan
(Associated Press, June 16, 2007) As Washington struggles to end nuclear
programs in Iran and North Korea, startling details have emerged
from declassified U.S.
government documents regarding its success in halting Taiwan's budding nuclear project
in the 1970s.
U.S. Points to PRC Role in
Cross-Strait Issues
(Central News Agency, Feb. 25, 2007) The U.S. government needs to take into
account all factors affecting stability across the Taiwan Strait in dealing
with cross-strait issues, which include China's military deployments against
Taiwan and the lack of high-level political contact between the two sides,
said Thomas Christensen, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian
and Pacific affairs.
The United States' Quiet
Victories in East Asia By Michael J. Green
(Washington Post, Feb. 13, 2007) Is America's Pacific Century over?
Is America losing Asia to China?
Not yet. As with all things Asian, the appearance of harmony in the meetings
in Cebu does not
entirely match reality. Almost all the major leaders at the summit still
trust Washington more than their neighbors, China
in particular.
Congress Members Laud
Friendship with Taiwan
(Taipei Times, Feb. 8, 2007) More than two dozen members of the US Congress
paid tribute to Taiwan
on Tuesday as the 143-member Congressional Taiwan Caucus celebrated its fifth
anniversary.
Time Right
for a US-Taiwan FTA By Claude Barfield
(TT, Oct. 24, 2006) U.S. shift toward bilateral free
trade agreements (FTAs) with willing partners will bring
into stark relief a major dilemma for US trade and diplomatic policy: the
increasing political and economic isolation of Taiwan within the region.
A Strange Calculus By Gary J. Schmitt, Dan Blumenthal
(Wall Street
Journal Asia, Aug. 21, 2006) U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld last month wrote to the U.S. Congress opposing a
measure calling for upgraded military exchanges with Taiwan. The measure in question
ought not to be contentious. Washington has
a vital interest in encouraging Taiwan to improve its defensive
capabilities.
The US Ignores Asia at Its
Peril By Richard Halloran
(Taipei Times, Aug 12, 2006) With fighting in Iraq,
Israel and Afghanistan and ominous noises coming from Iran, Washington
is neglecting the very part of the world that has become the 'center of
gravity.'
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