WASHINGTON BRIEFING:US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Russel said that the US would not paper over its differences with China on important issues
Taipei Times
Date: Sep 24, 2015
By: William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON
US officials are reassuring Taiwan that no matter what Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近
Pro-Taiwan protesters on Tuesday shout during a rally in Seattle, Washington, as Chinese President Xi Jinping attends an event at the Westin Hotel nearby. Photo: Reuters
平) says about it during his summit with US President Barack Obama this week, Washington will not change its current policies.
“It is normal for a Chinese leader to raise Taiwan,” US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel told a media briefing on Tuesday.
“We will always make clear when the issue arises that we place great importance on stability across the [Taiwan] Strait,” he said. “We respect the right of the people on Taiwan to exercise their democratic rights and will continue to counsel restraint on the part of Beijing in order to maintain trust and stability.”
Speaking at the same event, Daniel Kritenbrink, senior director for Asian affairs at the US National Security Council, said that the US respected Taiwan’s democratic process and had a long-standing position on cross-strait issues based on the “one China” policy, the six communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). [FULL STORY]
