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WASHINGTON : Japan and the United States on Sunday will declare in a joint agreement that the Taiwan Strait is a "common strategic objective," The Washington Post said Friday citing a draft of the document it obtained.
The agreement will be anounced after US Secretaries of State, Condoleezza Rice, and of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld meet their Japanese counterparts in Washington on Saturday, the daily said in its article dated in Tokyo.
"This is the first time that Japan has made its stance clear; in the past, Japan has been very indirect on the Taiwan issue," said Koh Se-kai, Taiwan's special representative to Japan. "We're relieved that Japan has become more assertive."
Japan has had formal relations with China since 1972, but not with Taiwan.
There was no immediate reaction from China, which considers Taiwan a renegade part of its territory and strongly opposes any move towards its independence. China has a considerable military force amassed on the Taiwan Strait opposite the island, which split from China in 1949.
China has threatened to use military force if Taiwan ever formally declares independence and on Thursday condemned a proposed resolution in the US congress demanding resumption of diplomatic ties with the island - Washington officially recognizes mainland China.
The agreement to be announced Sunday eclaring the Taiwan Strait as a "common strategic objective" of Washington and Tokyo is the most significant alteration since 1996 of the US-Japanese Security Alliance, the daily said. - AFP
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