A senior U.S. official Monday played down the significance of any speculation about how Washington will respond in a case of a conflict between China and Taiwan. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said at the Brookings Institution that Washington's policy is to urge both sides of the Taiwan Strait to engage in dialogue and sort out their differences peacefully to avoid conflict. Noting that military conflict is not in the interest of either sides, Steinberg said the U.S. goal is to avoid conflict. The issue was raised when President Ma Ying-jeou, in an interview with CNN broadcast in Taiwan on April 30, said Taiwan will never ask Americans to fight for it, sparking controversy at home and concern over how Washington would react. Steinberg said it is not particularly useful to speculate what would happen in the event of a conflict and stressed that Washington is pleased with current developments across the strait. Citing the ongoing negotiations between Taiwan and China on a trade pact, Steinberg said the Taiwan leader has worked to improve ties with China, and China has responded to it, which will help build mutual trust between them. Critics of Ma's statement said the president had put Taiwan's security at unnecessary risk by eliminating the strategic ambiguity Washington has taken pains to maintain about how it will respond if China invades Taiwan. Ma's spokesman defended the comment, saying the president meant to stress Taiwan's determination to defend itself. 