[News] CNA (Taiwan): TAIWAN WATCHES CLOSELY TMD-RELATED DEVELOPMENTS: SPOKESMAN

["DiemQuynh Nguyen" <diemquynhng@hotmail.com>]

>TAIWAN WATCHES CLOSELY TMD-RELATED DEVELOPMENTS: SPOKESMAN
>
>     Taipei, Aug. 21 (CNA) Continuing to provide Taiwan with defensive
>arms  is  the consistent policy of the United States, and Taiwan will
>keep a close watch on developments relating to its proposed inclusion
>in  a  US missile defense shield, government spokesman Chen Chien-jen
>said on Saturday.
>     US  State  Department spokesman James Rubin on Friday hinted that
>the  United  States  may  keep  the door open for Taiwan to join a US
>anti-missile  program,  saying that "we would view with grave concern
>any  use  of force against Taiwan, and we don't preclude the possible
>sale of theater missile defenses (TMD) to Taiwan in the future."
>     The  United  States  would help Taiwan defend itself according to
>the  provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act and the three communiques
>signed between Washington and Beijing, said Rubin.
>     Dismissing  Beijing's  alleged demand that Washington cut off all
>arms  supplies  to Taiwan, Rubin said at a press conference on Friday
>that  the  United  States  would honor the TRA and supply Taiwan with
>weapons necessary for its defense.
>     Rubin  said  that  although  Taiwan  President  Lee  Teng-hui has
>declared  the  island's willingness to join the TMD program, weaponry
>alone would not guarantee the island's security.
>     Instead,  the State Department spokesman touted the importance of
>dialogue  in  resolving  peacefully  any  disputes between Taipei and
>Beijing.
>     Chen  said  Taiwan  welcomes  Rubin's  statement  amid  increased
>tension  in  the  Taiwan  Strait in light of President Lee Teng-hui's
>statehood  assertion  and reports that Beijing is elbowing Washington
>to stop all arms sales to Taiwan.
>     Rubin's  remarks  are also encouraging in that they come just one
>day  after President Lee voiced his backing for Taiwan's inclusion in
>the  US-initiated  TMD  system and the Ministry of National Defense's
>(MND) announcement that Taiwan will establish a comprehensive missile
>defense   system   step-by-step  in  accordance  with  its  financial
>strength, Chen noted.
>     Chen  said the MND is studying the feasibility of joining the TMD
>program.   The  MND  now  places  top  priority  on  building  up  an
>early-warning  system  to cope with mounting mainland Chinese missile
>threats  and  Taiwan's  future  air-defense  needs.  An early-warning
>system will allow the military to quickly detect aerial activities by
>enemy   warplanes   and   thus   secure   more   time  for  preparing
>counterattacks, he added.
>     Although  mainland  Chinese  Ambassador  Li  Zhaoxing on Thursday
>launched   a   vitriolic   attack   on   President   Lee's   "special
>state-to-state"   assertion  on  cross-strait  relations,  Chen  said
>international  opinion  leaders have now shifted their attention from
>Lee's  remarks to Beijing-Taipei tensions and possible changes in the
>situation in the Taiwan Strait.
>(By Deborah Kuo)


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