{"id":10312,"date":"2011-09-13T18:09:31","date_gmt":"2011-09-13T18:09:31","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2011-09-13T18:09:31","modified_gmt":"2011-09-13T18:09:31","slug":"Taiwan-candidate-tells-US-she-s-no-radical-","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=10312","title":{"rendered":"Taiwan candidate tells US she’s no ‘radical’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taiwan’s opposition presidential candidate today assured the United States she would not whip up tensions with China if elected but pledged to boost defense spending to counterbalance a rising Beijing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The United States, the primary guarantor of the island’s security, has repeatedly hailed the easing of tensions across the Taiwan Strait since voters elected Beijing-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou in 2008.<\/p>\n

On a visit to Washington, Tsai Ing-wen<\/strong> — who is challenging Ma in January elections — acknowledged a “rough period” between Taiwan and the United States when her Democratic Progressive Party was last in power.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But Tsai said the DPP — which emphasizes Taiwan’s separate identity from mainland China and in the past has flirted with declaring independence — has “matured along with the development of Taiwan’s democracy.”<\/p>\n

“Our policy must be in line with the mainstream consensus in our society as well as international expectations and therefore we will refrain from extreme or radical approaches,” she said.<\/p>\n

Tsai, however, criticized Ma for a “lack of dedication to a strong defense.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

While calling for the United States to sell fighter jets to the island, Ma has not met a goal of devoting three percent of GDP to military spending<\/strong>, saying that the global economic crisis necessitated other priorities.<\/p>\n

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting reunification.<\/strong> The mainland’s nationalists fled to the island in 1949 after losing the civil war and it has since turned into a vibrant, self-governing democracy.<\/p>\n

The United States recognizes only China but under a 1979 law is required to provide for the island’s defense.<\/strong> President Barack Obama’s administration in January 2010 approved US$6.4 billion in arms to Taiwan, angering China.<\/p>\n

But the administration has refrained from selling the island the latest F-16 fighter jets<\/strong>, despite rising pressure from Taiwan’s supporters in the US Congress and assessments that China is gaining a military edge.<\/p>\n

Tseng called for the Obama administration to make more gestures, such as relaxing rules to allow Taiwanese to visit the United States without visas.<\/p>\n

Source AFP<\/em>
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