U.S. urges Taiwan to increase defense spending given China threat
Source: Reuters
Tue Dec 13, 2016 | 5:37pm EST
By David Brunnstrom | WASHINGTON
Defense spending in Taiwan has not kept pace with the threat posed by China and should be increased, a senior U.S. defense official said on Tuesday, days after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump touched off a storm by questioning American policy over the island.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Abraham Denmark said the Obama administration's "One China" policy remained unchanged, but he could not predict Trump's intentions when he takes office on Jan. 20.
Trump set off a diplomatic firestorm over the weekend when he questioned why the United States should be bound by the long-standing policy under which Washington recognizes Beijing rather than Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province.
This followed an earlier Chinese protest over Trump's telephone conversation with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Dec. 2, the first involving a U.S. President-elect or president since 1979.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-taiwan-defense-idUSKBN1422TT?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
olddad56
(5,732 posts)He supports an illegal democracy over a government of the people.
christx30
(6,241 posts)and how it is different from a 'government of the people'? And what if the people of Taiwan want to be a democracy, separate from China? Do the desires of the people that live there not matter at all?
scscholar
(2,902 posts)He supports what you describe. He doesn't want there to be one China that is for the people like has been US policy for decades.
christx30
(6,241 posts)But I support the people of Taiwan to decide what kind of government they want to live under. If they want to self govern, like they have for nearly 70 years, I don't have a problem with it. If they want to live under China's totalitarianism, I'd be ok with that. What I don't support is for the decision to be forced upon them.
So, again, what is an illegal democracy?
Blue Shoes
(220 posts)Tanuki
(14,926 posts)Watch certain stocks rise accordingly.