Taiwan told U.S. may not defend the island

Taiwan told U.S. may not defend the island
Tuesday 28th March, 2006
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Taiwan's presidential hopeful Ma Ying-jeou, after visiting U.S. officials, said Washington is unlikely to defend the island if it sparks a war with Beijing.
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Speaking in Los Angeles at the end of a 10-day U.S. visit, Ma said that in meetings with senior U.S. officials, whom he declined to identify, he was told the United States would have no obligation to help the island fight a war with Chinese forces if the Taiwanese authorities had done anything to spark the crisis, the South China Morning Post reported Tuesday.
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Beijing has repeatedly warned that it will attack the island if it declares independence.
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The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, passed when Washington switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing, requires the United States to help defend the island if China uses military force against Taiwan.
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U.S. Senator John Warner, who heads the Senate's Armed Services Committee, warned earlier this month that Washington might not come full force to Taiwan's rescue if it sparked armed conflict with China.
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Ma, who is mayor of Taipei and head of the opposition Kuomintang party, has reportedly succeeded in convincing U.S. leaders that, unlike current President Chen Shui-bian, he will not cause trouble with Beijing.
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