U.S. and Taiwan (2006)

White House Briefing, February 27

White House press secretary Scott McClellan briefed reporters February 27.

Following is the transcript of the White House briefing:

(begin transcript)

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
February 27, 2006

PRESS BRIEFING BY SCOTT McCLELLAN
James S. Brady Briefing Room
1:27 P.M. EST

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

Q: On Taiwan, despite the United States warning, Taiwan authority on Monday officially scrapped the National Unification Council. I wonder if the President has been briefed --

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry, Taiwan what?

Q: Taiwan authority has officially scrapped the National Unification Council, which is a signal to (inaudible) unite with mainland China. I wonder whether you conceded this move by Chen Shui-bian to be a violation of his previous promise to the United States.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let me emphasize a couple things. One, our policy is clear and consistent when it comes to Cross-Strait relations. Our one China policy remains, based on the three communiqués, the Taiwan Relations Act, and our belief that there should be no unilateral change in the status quo by either side. We welcome President Chen's reaffirmation of his administration's commitment to Cross-Strait peace and stability, and Taiwan's commitment to the pledges that President Chen made in his inaugural address to unilaterally alter -- to not unilaterally alter the status quo on the Taiwan Strait.

The United States continues to also stress the need for Beijing to open a meaningful dialogue with the duly elected leadership in Taiwan that leads to a peaceful resolution of their differences.

Q: Earlier we heard that President was upset about Chen Shui-bian's plan to try to unilaterally change the status quo.

MR. McCLELLAN: That's why I talked about the reaffirmation that he has made. It did not abolish the National Unification Council. Today he reaffirmed commitments made during the 2000 and 2004 inaugural addresses. And the United States attaches great importance to those commitments.

Q: My question is that Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian has been trying to push the envelope and trying to change the status quo as defined by the United States government over past few years. So causing a lot -- by doing so, causing a lot of concerns and attention in Taipei, in Beijing, and in Washington, D.C. So my question is, should the U.S. national security and the foreign policy and also the important U.S.-China relations should be dictated and challenged by Chen Shui-bian's inconsistency and by his personal, selfish political agenda?

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, I don't think it changes what I just said. We do not believe that there should be any unilateral change in the status quo by either side. And our policy remains the same. It has not changed.

Q: Thank you.

MR. McCLELLAN: Thank you.

END

2:09 P.M. EST

(end transcript)