China's military buildup threatens regional peace: Taiwan

0 Comments | Asian Political News, July 22, 2002

TAIPEI, July 16 Kyodo

China's desire to retake Taiwan by force remains undimmed, posing a threat not only to peace across the Taiwan Strait but also regional stability, a Taiwan military official said Tuesday, echoing a report issued by the Pentagon last week.

Speaking at a weekly news conference, military spokesman Maj. Gen. Huang Suey-sheng said Taiwan is monitoring China's huge military buildup along its southeastern coast and recent acquisition of new weapons from Russia.

''With the growing threat from China, Taiwan will keep alert on the danger and review its own military tactics carefully,'' Huang said.

His comments mark the first response by Taiwan to the report issued Friday by the U.S. Defense Department on China's military buildup.

The detailed report submitted to Congress voiced deep concern over China's expanding military budget, huge military buildup along southeastern coastal areas opposite Taiwan and the recent acquisition of new weapons from Russia -- China's major arm supplier.

Beijing has long regarded Taiwan as a renegade province since the civil war in 1949 and vowed to unite the island by force if necessary.

According to the report, ''China's ambitious military modernization casts a cloud over its declared preference for resolving differences over Taiwan through peaceful means.''

''China's doctrine is moving toward the goal of surprise, deception and shock effect in the opening phase of a campaign,'' the report said. ''China is exploring coercive strategies designed to bring Taipei to terms quickly.''

Meanwhile, commenting on the new round of U.S.-Taiwan strategic dialogue to be held Tuesday in Monterey, California, Huang said the talks are ''normal'' and ''necessary'' to maintain military exchanges and cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan.

He based his remarks on the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act that authorizes the U.S. government to help Taiwan maintain a defense capability.

The Monterey talk, first held under the Taiwan Relations Act in 1997 to discuss security issues in the Asia-Pacific region, has been defined as one of the ''routine conversations'' between the U.S. and Taiwan officials. This is the eighth time for both sides to meet.

Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Kau, National Security Council Adviser Lin Chong-pin, Vice Chief of the General Staff Ju Kai-san and several military officials will head the Taiwan delegation, according to Taiwan's semiofficial Central News Agency (CNA).

James Kelly, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Peter Rodman, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, and a number of National Security Council officials will represent the U.S. in the conference, CNA said.