Taipei  - A US envoy on Monday assured Taipei that the US position on Taiwan remains unchanged despite President Barack Obama's visit to China.

Raymond F Burghardt, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the highest-ranking US official handling Taiwan ties, gave the assurance to Parliament Speaker Wang Jin-pyng.

Burghardt arrived in Taipei Sunday to brief authorities on Obama's talks last week with Chinese President Hu Jintao, as many Taiwanese are worried that Obama did not speak up for Taiwan on his China trip.

"President Obama did not in any way change our long-standing position on Taiwan," Burghardt said.

He said that Obama raised the issue of Taiwan, and arms sales to Taiwan, during his private talks with Hu in Beijing.

The US position on Taiwan "would remain unchanged during his (Obama's) administration," he added.

Regarding Taiwan consumers protesting Taipei's plan to further relax restrictions on US beef imports, Burghardt said Americans eat the same beef that is exported to foreign countries.

The beef is processed the same way, so there should be no safety fears, he noted.

Burghardt is scheduled to meet with President Ma Ying-jeou Tuesday. (dpa)