U.S. and Taiwan (2006)

Statement to the Media
Visit of Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill
U.S. Embassy, Manila, March 2, 2006

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Q: Xiaoyang Xia from the Wen Hui Daily of Shanghai, China. Ambassador Hill, in view of the recent announcement by the Taiwanese leader Chen Shui-ban that he officially and formally ceased the function of the Council of National Unification and abandoned the GATT lines as well, which has once again caused tension across Taiwan Strait. What's the assessment of the U.S. government of the future situation in the Taiwan Strait and what kind of measures will the U.S. take to prevent a possible military conflict in the area?

Assistant Secretary Hill: First of all we don't feel there is any role for military confrontation in this issue. There has not been a role in the past, there is not a role in the present, and we do not foresee a role in the future. We believe these issues can be resolved through dialogue. There are a lot of mutual interests across the Straits – interests that the Taiwanese people have, interests that people in Shanghai have, in making sure these issues can be worked out. I think the position of the United States is very well known. We have made very clear our view on one China, we have been very clear on how we pursue those interests, and we have repeatedly stated our position, especially with respect to our one China policy. We are watching this issue closely, but we believe that the issue needs to be resolved through peaceful means. This is through a process of dialogue. We are confident that this can be done because really, that is the solution that makes sense for everybody concerned.

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Q: But in order to become a member of the EAS, you have to sign the TAC?

Assistant Secretary Hill: That's another issue. Do we want to be a member of the EAS? In which case, how do we handle the TAC? For people who do not know what the EAS or the TAC are, this must be rather boring, but for you and I, it is very interesting. We need to figure out what we're going to do, and we've got a little time because it does not come up until the Fall, but coming up with an approach is very much in our minds. Last year, it was sort of wait-and-see. The East Asia Summit took place, and I think most people who took part were rather impressed. Early on, there was a concern that it was going to be just a Chinese venture, but clearly it was much broader than that. Australian Prime Minister Howard was there, as was President Putin. I would say the EAS was a success, and we need to look and see how we are going to handle the EAS. We want to be very clear to the people of East Asia, who want more than just bilateral relations and want to have multilateral processes. This is a fact, and we need to figure out what our role is in this. We are very pleased to be a dialogue partner in ASEAN. We want to be a part of the emerging and evolving architecture of East Asia. We want to be supportive of the process of developing multilateral ties because through this growing multilateralism, we think the region can become more stable and can make a contribution not only economically, but also in working together on political and security issues.

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