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| moreAboutEastAsia |
| PM brushes off criticism of Australian FM's Taiwan war comments Fri Aug 20, 4:17 AM ET SYDNEY (AFP) - Prime Minister John Howard brushed off criticism of his foreign minister's comment that Australia had no obligation to side with the United States if tensions between China and Taiwan erupted into war. The Australian opposition said Foreign Minister Alexander Downer's comment could harm relations with the United States, while Taiwan said it was disappointing. The US State Department responded that Canberra's obligations were clear under the ANZUS military treaty that includes the United States, Australia and New Zealand. It has long been assumed that Australia, a firm US ally, would join with the United States in supporting Taiwan if it went to war with China, which has threatened to invade the island should it declare formal independence. But Downer, who has fostered close economic and diplomatic ties with Beijing, said Canberra's stance would not be automatic. Downer told reporters in Beijing that Australia's military alliance with the United States was only binding when the territory of either country came under attack. "Some other military activity elsewhere in world, be in in Iraq (news - web sites) or anywhere else for that matter, does not automatically invoke the ANZUS treaty," he said. Howard said it was "patently absurd" to suggest the issue had damaged US-Australian relations. "For most of this year I have been pilloried for being too close to George Bush," said Howard, a strong supporter of the US-led Iraq invasion. "At the faintest suggestion that there is a slightly different emphasis, people are saying 'dear, this is terrible' -- that is a tad hypocritical of them," he told public radio. Taiwanese Vice Foreign Minister Michael Kau said the remarks were not helpful and sent the wrong message to China. "Of course, this kind of statement would be rather disappointing to us," Kau told ABC television in an interview aired late Thursday. Kau said Downer's comments could undermine the peace and stability the international community had sought to build up around the Taiwan issue and he hoped they did not signal a policy shift by Canberra. "It may not be helpful because, as you know, China has taken a fairly militant position on the Taiwan issue, and if the world community is not committed to maintaining peace and the stability in the Taiwan Strait area, it could be sending a wrong message to Beijing," he said. A US State Department official refused to respond directly in The Australian newspaper to Downer's comment, saying only Australia's ANZUS obligations were "pretty clear" and Washington wanted a peaceful solution to tensions across the Taiwan Straits. The United States is obliged to defend Taiwan under the US-Taiwan Relations Act and the ANZUS signatories are required to meet common danger from an armed attack in the Pacific area. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory which will eventually be reunified, by force if necessary, after their split in 1949 following a civil war. In Hong Kong, Downer backed away from his comments. "I don't want to get into speculating at all on what Australia would do in those circumstances ... it's a very, very empty debate, and a useless debate to get into," he said in remarks released by his office Friday. Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said Downer was trying to cover himself after blundering into one of the world's most sensitive diplomatic minefields. "He's done a Beijing backflip with Taiwan twist and pike," Rudd said. "Frankly he shouldn't have opened his mouth the way he did in the first place." Downer was criticised by the Philippines last month for saying Manila acted "like a marshmallow" by withdrawing troops from Iraq to save a hostage Filipino truck driver. He was also accused of scaremongering earlier this week for suggesting North Korea (news - web sites) had missiles capable of striking Sydney. |
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