US official: Taiwan must be stopped

A US State Department official stated that Washington's efforts to prevent the mainland from using military force against Taiwan were threatened by the island's behavior. US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly said that attempts to deter Beijing from resorting to military action against Taiwan could fail if Beijing were to believe Taiwan was moving toward independence and permanent separation from China. �Taiwan must be stopped in these efforts,� Kelly told the US House of Representatives Committee on International Relations. The hearing marked the 25th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, the legal framework for relations between the US, China and Taiwan.