US Secretary of Defense Broaches Taiwan at Shangri-La Dialogue

choi

In chronological order (different times of the same day).

(1) News Transcript: Remarks by Secretary Mattis at Shangri-La Dialogue. Departmentof Defense, June 3, 2017.
https://www.defense.gov/News/Tra ... hangri-la-dialogue/

quote about Taiwan only:

(a) a paragraph in the speech: "The Department of Defense remains steadfastly committed to working with Taiwan and with its democratic government to provide in the defense articles necessary, consistent with the obligations set out in our Taiwan Relations Act.  Because we stand for the peaceful resolution of any issues in a manner acceptable to people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

(b) At the end of the speech, Mr Chipman took three questions, before Mattis answered all three questions together. The second question is from a PRC national about Taiwan:

        "MR CHIPMAN:  Two more questions before I go back to the secretary.  From China, Qiyu Tu.

             Q:  OK.  Thank you. General, I think I noticed that as you mentioned, strengthening the defense base between United States and Taiwan.  And I think that is quite unusual for the secretary of Defense of the United States to say so in this occasion.  And does it mean that there's some change with regard to the One China policy of the United States?  Thank you.

        "SEC MATTIS: * * * It's -- I would just say about China, as we talked about [it is unclear what this clause means: so far in the transcript, Mattis had not talked about adjustment or change of policy or one China], you know, whether or not there's any adjustment to One China.  No, there is not.  The policy remains.  We believe in the peaceful resolution of the situation between China and Taiwan.  And that's where we've stood for some years.  And the One China policy holds.
  
Note:
(a) International Institute for Strategic Studies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In ... r_Strategic_Studies
(1958- ; headquarters  London; Director-General and Chief Executive  John Chipman)

Quote: "The Institute hosts the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual meeting of Asia-Pacific region Defense Ministers in Singapore, and the Manama Dialogue, an annual meeting of Persian Gulf-region security ministers and officials in Bahrain" whose capital is Manama.

(b) TU Qiyu  上海社会科学院城市与人口发展研究所副所长 屠启宇

choi

(2) reactions:
(a) China Strongly Opposes US Arms Sales to Taiwan: Senior Military Officer. Xinhua, June 3, 2017.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-06/03/c_136336997.htm

(b) Minnie Chan, Beijing Outraged by US Support for Taiwan's Defence. South China Morning Post, June 4, 2017.
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/d ... y-delegation-taiwan
("Addressing the Shangri-La ­Dialogue, US Defence Secretary James Mattis said the US would continue to abide by its commitment to Taiwan, the first time the island has been mentioned by a US delegation to the forum since its inception in 2002")

My comment:
(a) The online title and subtitle are:
Mattis Outrages Beijing with Explicit Commitment to Defend Taiwan; US remains committed to defence of the island but also abides by the one-China policy, US defence chief says at Shangri-La Dialogue.
(b) The online title is wrong! Mattis did not say "defend Taiwan." the text of the report is hewed to the fact, so I presume it is an editor's fault (tile is written by an editor; text by a reporter).