Sino-US extracts.
Perfidious Act Portends Great Disaster
On April 25, the US government, disregarding the solemn representations of
the Chinese side, brazenly decided to sell a batch of advanced weapons
including Kidd-class destroyers to Taiwan
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/taiwan.html> . This is a
political event that seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and harms
Chinese-US relations. This wrong move of the US side seriously violates the
provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiques, particularly the
Chinese-US "August 17" communique.
It will further encourage the arrogance of the "Taiwan independence" forces
to split China, aggravate the tense situation in the Taiwan Straits and
jeopardize peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. The Chinese
government and people express vehement indignation at this!
In Chinese-US relations, the Taiwan question has always been the most
important and most sensitive core issue. The US government has made its
solemn promise to the Chinese government and people regarding the issue of
Taiwan, that is, adhering to the one-China principle and abiding by the
three Chinese-US communiques. In line with the "August 17" communique, the
US government issued the statement that "it does not seek to carry out a
long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan, that its arms sales to Taiwan will
not exceed, either in qualitative or in quantitative terms, the level of
those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic
relations between the United States
<http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/usa.html> and China, and that
it intends gradually to reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a
period of time, to a final resolution". But the US side has repeatedly
broken its promises, incessantly sold advanced weapons to Taiwan and
continued to strengthen Taiwan's military strength. Especially since the
1990s, US arms sales to Taiwan have become increasingly fierce. First,
increase in quantity. Statistics show that the value of US arms sales to
Taiwan in fiscal year 1990 amounted to US$510 million, the figure shot up to
US$6.62 billion in fiscal year 1993, and later the average annual figure
exceeded US$2 billion. Second, ever higher quality. Among the weapons sold
to Taiwan include F-16 fighter, Patriot-2 missile, E-2T early warning plane,
advanced radar and engine and other high-tech weapons and equipment. Third,
becoming more open. The annual arms sales conference of concerned
departments of the United States and Taiwan was previously held covertly,
but now it is held openly. Last year, in particular, US House of
Representatives flagrantly passed the Law on Strengthened Taiwan Security in
an attempt to provide a so-called legal basis for the United States to
expand its military ties with Taiwan and to sell advanced weapons and
equipment as well as technology to Taiwan. Statistics show that over the
past 50 years, the weapons and equipment the United States sold to Taiwan
have far surpassed US$50 billion, the figure does not include soft service,
such as the export of military technology, the cooperative R&D and
production of military weapon and equipment and the training of military
technical personnel.
Before the conference on US arms sales to Taiwan this time, US officials had
continually stressed to the outside that based on its "excessively sensitive
political consideration", the US government had made the decision not to
sell "Aegis", but to sell Kidd-class destroyer in its stead. Since they know
the "sensitive" nature of the Taiwan issue, they should mend their way, but
why do they obstinately cling to their own course and continue to indulge in
arms sales activities? Although the United States has cancelled its plan of
selling "Aegis" to Taiwan, the Kidd-class destroyers are still relatively
advanced weapons and equipment, the nature of arms sales is bad.
People cannot help asking: Why has the US government time and again gone
back on its words and gone further to sell arms to Taiwan? As the saying
goes, "Sima Zhao's trick is obvious to every one in the street" -what he is
up to is only too evident. The political aim of US arms sales to Taiwan is
to set obstacles to China's peaceful reunification, contain China by playing
the "Taiwan card" and serve its global strategy.
US external arms sales directly serve US foreign strategy. US sales of
advanced weapons to Taiwan are required by US global strategy. Building a
uni-polar world under US control is a strategic goal long pursued by the US
government, while US strategy toward China is an important component part of
US global strategy. In recent years, whether or not to "protect Taiwan by
force" has been a topic of frequent discussion in the United States.
Although some Americans recognize the one-China principle and understand the
importance of China, they, however, fear the power of China. Proceeding from
this strategic idea, they intensify arming the so-called unsinkable aircraft
carrier, further playing the "Taiwan card".
US anti-China forces attempt to use the Taiwan issue as an important
bargaining chip for applying pressure on China. Their direct aim in
supporting "Taiwan independence" and intensifying Taiwan's military machine
is to contain and weaken China and obstruct China's peaceful reunification.
Facts have clearly indicated that US weapons have emboldened and bolstered
"Taiwan independence" elements. The greater number and the more advanced US
arms sales to Taiwan, the more frantic "Taiwan independence" element will
become. When American F-16 fighter was sold to Taiwan, Lee Teng-hui
responded with a "visit to the United States", which resulted in hurting
Chinese-US relations. When the United States sold early warning planes and
the Patriot missiles to Taiwan, Lee Teng-hui then dished out his "two-states
theory". US sales of advanced weapons to Taiwan have increased Taiwan
authorities' kinetic energy in rejecting peace talks with the mainland for
reunification and given the "Taiwan independence" forces a conception that
Taiwan has been strong enough to confront the mainland. Undoubtedly, this
will increase the uncertainty and danger in the development trend of the
situation in the Taiwan Straits. What a great disaster this will be!
US sales of large quantities of weapons to Taiwan will eventually harm the
interests of the United States itself. In the eye of some Americans with
Cold War mentality, after the conclusion of the Cold War, US munition
industry was affected, arms dealers were anxious to search for markets. The
sales of arms worth tens of billions of US dollars to Taiwan will not only
bring benefits to the arms dealers, but also will stimulate the military
industry and boost related sectors, so it seems to be in the national
interests of the United States. This obviously is a stupid action. Anyone
with a slight sense will see such a fact: Compared to 10 years ago, great
changes have taken place in the situation in China's mainland and the Taiwan
region as well as in Chinese-US economic and trade relations. China has
become the fourth big trading country of the United States which has, in
turn, become China's first trade partner. As long Chinese-US relations
develop normally, the prospect for trade between the two countries will be
inestimable. To maintain the healthy development of this kind of "win, win"
Chinese-US economic and trade ties, it is necessary to have a stable and
peaceful environment as its premise. The large-scale of US arms sales to
Taiwan can only inflate the arrogance of "Taiwan independence" elements,
while the growth of "Taiwan independence" forces is bound to make it more
difficult for cross-Strait dialogs on the basis of the one-China principle
and will aggravate the tense situation in this region and the entire East
Asia. Arms sales to Taiwan will, in the end, not only affect the Chinese-US
relations, but will exert great negative influence on US investment and
trade activities in China and its surrounding regions and bring disastrous
influence on the world economy and will finally endanger the interests of
the United States itself.
At present, Sino-US relations are at the crucial moment, properly handling
the Taiwan issue is vitally important to maintaining Chinese-US ties. The
Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affair which admits of no
interference from any outside forces. To put it bluntly, the sale of even a
single bullet to Taiwan will essentially mean supporting Taiwan's splitting
activities against the motherland and interfering in China's internal
affairs. The Chinese government and the Chinese people absolutely not allow
such actions. The Chinese nation is a peace-loving nation, the Chinese Army
is a peace-loving armed force. However, when the territory, territorial
waters and territorial airspace and soevereignty of the motherland are
violated, we will fight against the violator through to the end at all
costs. The process of the Chinese people's endeavor to accomplish the great
cause of reunification of the motherland cannot be obstructed by anyone.
****
US Cannot Be Taiwan's Security Umbrella" The Bush administration has decided
on a big batch of arms sales of sophisticated weaponry to include four
formidable Kidd-class destroyers and eight diesel-powered submarines to
Taiwan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/taiwan.html> .
Accordingly, the Taiwan authorities expressed gratitude to the US. But "the
US can not be Taiwan's security umbrella, Taiwan's security can in no way
rely on US stimulants". Weapons will secure no easy rest for Taiwan; Taiwan
should stay away from unnecessary cross-Straits armament race and, what's
more important, try not to be a counter or tool of the US against the
mainland; Taiwan is in dying need to have a security strategy "transcending
armament race", actively return to the"1992 Cross-Straits consensus",
promote cross-Straits political consultation and reconcile unnecessary
conflicts and cross-Straits standoffs, these are opinions generally held by
people in Taiwan.
The United Daily of Taiwan Wednesday carried an editorial in which it
pointed out that the Taiwan authorities prefer to build close military ties
with the US and seemingly take it as an umbrella. That's also why the former
Lee Teng-hui government was so impatient before US made its final decision
on TMD that it hurriedly declared his impetuosity to be willing to join in
the TMD system though controversies were still found in the US. Actually,
different voice occurred at that moment. On the one hand, it takes "peace"
as its final target and considers Taiwan should not forwardly stimulate a
military crisis; on the other, based on a cost-to-benefit evaluation, it
advocates that Taiwan should not spend an enormous figure of budget on
armament race.
United Daily claimed by its editorial that it is still not clear whether
Taiwan can secure a guarantee to its security after investing such a huge
amount of money. The crux of the problem is: Does Taiwan prefer a war or
peace when considering the island's cross-straits development strategy? Will
intensified armament build-up finally help peace or stimulate potential
crises leading to conflicts?
United Daily also points out that Taiwan cannot stake its lot on"diplomatic
friendship", or simply believes that it can use US and Japan
<http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/japan.html> to curb the mainland.
It should deal with the mainland on its own from a long-term point of view
instead of being a pawnage at the other's hand. However, it still fails to
find a judgement on important issues such as when it will open the three
links and do away with the policy of"no haste, be patient".
Many Taiwan people with insight noticed that armament race can in no way
guarantee Taiwan's security. To boost cross-Straits exchanges is more
important than purchasing weapons. James Soong, president of the People
First Party, pointed out that armament race will give no protection to
Taiwan. The Taiwan authorities should seriously consider how to establish a
security strategy "transcending armament race". He thought Taiwan's security
lies in interactive cross-Straits exchanges. Only by avoiding confrontation
can Taiwan realize real peace.
Ding Shouzhong, Kuomintang legislator, said bluntly that weapons are
absolutely not the only shield of Taiwan under the current situation when
interdependent economic and trade relationships and close cross-Straits
exchanges are developed. The Taiwan authorities should not gloat over a
deterioration of Sino-US relations and feel merry to reap yields from US
arms sales to trigger off an unnecessary armament race. He suggested that
the authorities should return to the "1992 cross-Straits consensus", promote
cross-Straits political consultation and seek to set up a mutual-faith
military system so as to melt unnecessary conflicts and frays between the
two sides.
Guan Zhong, lecture course professor of International Relationship College
of Tamkang University, analyzed that posing as the "overlord of the world",
the US has always pursued arms sales as a tool to push its diplomatic
policies. By selling weapons to other countries to meet the demand of its
allies and supporters, US can help fulfill the target of its diplomatic
policies. The US has its goal without doubt to maintain its own selfish
interests instead of others.
Guan pointed out that the Taiwan authorities should think over whether US
has its aim to further its own interests instead of Taiwan people's
wellbeing. Does it really have a reason to fight for Taiwan at all cost? To
avoid being a paw in the hands of US, the Taiwan authorities should make
clear the basic common consensus of"Chinese will not fight Chinese".
US Arms Sales to Taiwan Escalate Cross-Straits Tension: Experts
Chinese military and foreign affairs experts warned Thursday the US's arms
sales to Taiwan will not only severely undermine the Sino-US relations, add
to the risks of military collisions across the Taiwan Straits, but also
probably lead to a "direct military confrontation" between China and the
United States.
The US government announced Wednesday that it will sell advanced weapons and
equipment worth billions of US dollars to Taiwan, including four Kidd-class
destroyers, eight diesel-powered submarines, and 12 P-3C Orion
submarine-hunting aircrafts.
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