US envoy says Obama administration committed to defend Taiwan

Nov 24, 2009, 6:36 GMT

   Taipei - A senior US envoy on Tuesday assured Taipei that the United States is still committed to help defend Taiwan.

   Raymond Burghardt, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan and the highest-ranking US official handling Taiwan ties, gave the assurance while briefing President Ma Ying-jeou on President Barack Obama's China visit last week.

   Burghardt said Obama did not make any comments indicating a change the long-held US policy towards Taiwan, including the US commitment to help Taiwan maintain its self-defence capability.

   The US has never taken a position on the political status of Taiwan, and only acknowledged China's requests in the regard, Burghardt said.

   The US government wants the Taiwan issue to be solved through peaceful means, with respect to the popular will on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Burghardt said.

   Ma thanked the US administration for its sincerity, but also urged the US to speed up arms sales to Taiwan, especially the sale of jet fighters.

   The US, a long-time anti-Communist ally of Taiwan, cut formal ties with Taipei to recognize China in 1979, but signed the Taiwan Relations Act promising to maintain cultural and trade relations and to continue to sell defensive arms to the island.

   However, the act was only mentioned once by Obama - at his joint news conference with Hu - and did not find its way into written communiques.