TAIWAN CALLS FOR INT'L ATTENTION TO CHINA'S ANTI-SATELLITE PROGRAM
ROC Central News Agency
2007-01-24 13:05:01
Tokyo, Jan. 24 (CNA) China's anti-satellite technology development has posed a threat to other countries including Taiwan, which deserves the concern of the international community, a Taiwan official said in the Japanese capital Tuesday.
Visiting Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu made the remarks while giving a speech at Japan's Foreign Correspondents' Club, referring to China's recent anti-satellite weapons test in which a ground-based missile was used to destroy an old satellite.
Wu said it is based on such concern over China's military modernization that Taiwan has been calling for an international arms embargo against China.
Taiwan was pleased to see Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urge leaders of European countries to reaffirm their commitment to maintain the European Union's arms embargo against China during his recent visit to Europe, he added.
While China has never eased its military intimidation against Taiwan since the 1996 cross-Taiwan Strait missile crisis, military reports released by the United States show that China has deployed nearly 900 short- and medium-range missiles targeting Taiwan and is developing submarines equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, Wu pointed out.
He expressed concern that China's military buildup will upset the military balance across the strait and change the cross-strait status quo.
In addition to stepping up its military threat against Taiwan, Beijing has continued its efforts to isolate Taiwan, using checkbook diplomacy in Africa to woo Taiwan's diplomatic allies away and blocking Taiwan's efforts to take part in international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization, he said.
On the future development of relations between Taiwan and China, Wu said Taiwan will never accept China's "one country, two systems" formula for unification, which is now being practiced in Hong Kong.
He said the international community should learn a lesson from the example of Hong Kong, which has seen its freedom suppressed by Beijing since its handover from Britain to China in 1997.
Wu pointed out that the majority of people in Taiwan wish to maintain the status quo and have no desire for unification with China because they want to lead a life of freedom and democracy.
He predicted that there will not be any major changes in the current policy even if the pro-unification Kuomintang wins the next presidential election in 2008.
Asked if Taiwan is worried about possible suppression by China at the 2008 Olympic Games to be held in Beijing, Wu said Taiwan faces such problems very often and needs the help of the international community in upholding fairness and justice for the country.
He asserted that if the 2008 Olympic torch relay is to include Taiwan, the torch must be passed from a third country to Taiwan instead of directly from a Chinese territory, because Taiwan, unlike Hong Kong and Macau, is not part of China.
(By Yang Ming-chu and Y.F. Low)
ENDITEM/Li
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
