John Kerry: “I want to say a word about what President Bush said this morning with respect to Taiwan because if what the President…”

“I want to say a word about what President Bush said this morning with respect to Taiwan because if what the President said is, in fact, what he means, or if it is indeed the new policy of the United States, it has profound implications for our country. He made a far-reaching comment this morning on the American defense of Taiwan, a comment which suggests that without any consultation with Congress, without any prior notice to the Congress, a policy that has been in place for 30 years is now summarily being changed with implications that I believe are serious. When asked by Charles Gibson, on ABC's ``Good Morning America,'' whether the United States had an obligation to defend Taiwan if Taiwan were attacked by China, President Bush said: Yes, we do, and the Chinese must understand that. Charles Gibson then asked: With the full force of the American military? President Bush responded: Whatever it took to help Taiwan defend theirself. For almost 30 years, through Republican and Democrat administrations alike, the cornerstone of our approach to policy toward China and Taiwan has been the so-called ``one China'' policy: There is but one China; Taiwan is a part of China, and the question of Taiwan's future must be settled peacefully.”