White House also warns on China's military aims

Taipei Times ^ | 08.02.03

[Dr. Marten]

White House also warns on China's military aimsBy Charles Snyder
STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON
Saturday, Aug 02, 2003,Page 1

The White House has warned that China's speedy missile buildup aimed at Taiwan is "destabilizing" and has repeated its call for both sides to settle cross-Strait issues peacefully.

The comments, by White House spokesman Scott McClellan, came a day after the Pentagon's report on China's increased military threat.

"We've made it very clear that China's rapid build-up of weapons, particularly missiles opposite of Taiwan is something that is destabilizing, McClellan told reporters. "And we will fulfill our commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act."

McClellan said the US has "always remained committed" to that law, and has "expressed concerns about the Chinese taking steps to increase their weaponry."

"But, again, the best way for the two sides to resolve their differences is through a peaceful dialogue. And we encourage the parties to pursue that dialogue," he said in response to a series of questions about the report, which was released Wednesday.

Developing credible military options for a Taiwan scenario remains the focus of China's military modernization, the report the Pentagon's latest annual report to Congress on China's military posture said. It also painted a picture of an increasingly sophisticated Chinese military, with Chinese defense spending expected to double in coming years.

The tough-worded report came as Washington is in delicate negotiations with Beijing over the North Korean nuclear threat, trying to get China to take a more active role in getting negotiations going, aimed at revolving the crisis.

That fact has prompted some Washington observers to wonder why the report was issued now, rather than being delayed until the situation was calmer as the Pentagon has done in the past.

In related news, the US and China are planning an exchange of top-level military visits later this year in what appears to be a near-return to normal bilateral military relations, but US officials say the visits will not affect US military commitments to Taiwan.

China's Minister of National Defense, General Cao Gangchuan (曹剛川), is slated to visit Washington in November, and the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard B. Myers, is planning to travel to Beijing soon after that, Pentagon officials say. In addition, the two sides are planning to conduct reciprocal ship visits to each other's naval bases.

The meetings, which were arranged "a couple of months ago," according to a US defense official, will be highest-level military talks of the George W. Bush presidency.

While planning for the trip is not yet firm, the two sides are expected to discuss "big picture" items. these will include "common security interests and concerns," the official said.

Taiwan is certain to come up during the meetings, but the visits could have an indirect benefit on US-Taiwan relations, a defense official told the Taipei Times.

"It will help the Chinese officers gain an appreciation and understand the seriousness of our commitment to help Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act" and America's demand for a peaceful settlement of cross-Strait issues, the official said.

"They will learn this face-to-face, and it may change some Chinese thinking" toward the Taiwan issue, he said.

The decision to upgrade US-China military ties does not reflect any change in US policy toward Taiwan, he said.

The visits will be the culmination of efforts by Beijing and Washington to improve military-to-military relations since the EP-3 incident in April 2001 caused Washington to break off military contacts.

[meenie]

Military-to-military with China seems to me to be a means for our tactical and technology methods to be turned over to China. What happened to the idea of secrecy in military planning? Is this administration taking the same path as the Clinton administration?

[nonliberal]

China is a bigger threat than Al-Qaeda, North Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq combined.

[Dr. Marten]

" Is this administration taking the same path as the Clinton administration?"

It would appear that way wouldn't it? Bush is the one who granted PNTR and dropped all opposition to their joining the WTO.

[The Pheonix]

Plse be fair to our Great Pres Bush, and don't cast any aspersions on him as far as the WTO and China's accession to it ,is concerned

The truth is that there was no way that the US could have blocked China's entry into the WTO. Under the rules, China had already obtained enough trade-agreements with the required number of countries/Nations to qualify for admission, with or without the US vote

BTW, the US has no veto power in the WTO---the US don't own the WTO or the Olympics, or the UN

[Dr. Marten]

First of all. I dont give blanket support to someone just because they are the President. If I think he is wrong, I will call him on it whether I support him or not.

Lastly, the US was one of the biggest obstacles blocking Chinese assention into the WTO. It has nothing to do with existing trade agreements. If the other members are against another country becoming a member for whatever reason, those issues must be adequately addressed before admission is possible.

[Dr Warmoose]

The White House has warned that China's speedy missile buildup aimed at Taiwan is "destabilizing" and has repeated its call for both sides to settle cross-Strait issues peacefully.

Peace to communists means "no resistance". Is this another one of Bush's damned "roadmaps" like that fiasco in Israel?

"expressed concerns about the Chinese taking steps to increase their weaponry." Meanwhile this bi-polar insanity continues with "the US and China are planning an exchange of top-level military visits later this year

So China is threatening war. They are a menace to the region and plan on aggressive actions to loot and pillage a country. Sort of like Saddam Hussein and Kuwait, only a couple of orders of magnitude greater in both violence and spoils. What does are intrepid "peace maker" George Bush do? Give the #$%*&@# commies the Keys to the Kingdom.

I have a feeling that I am going to see another State of The Union Show where the president, at the end of his message, pulls off this latex mask like in Mission Impossible and we will see Bill Clinton hiding behind it.