DATE=3/7/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA / TAIWAN / U-S (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259901
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: One of China's top generals is hinting that
the United States is behind a plot to foil the
island's reunification with the Chinese mainland. VOA
correspondent Roger Wilkison reports China is also
justifying a nearly 13 percent increase in its
military budget, saying the increase is needed to ward
off a threat to its security.
TEXT: Beijing's barrage of belligerent rhetoric
continued Tuesday with the military's own newspaper
quoting a leading general as saying Western enemies
intend to subjugate and divide China.
The Liberation Army Daily quotes General Zhang Wannian
-- vice chairman of the powerful Central Military
Commission -- as saying the intention of what he calls
Western enemy forces to subjugate China will not die.
Diplomats in Beijing say that General Zhang is
referring to the United States. His comments were
apparently part of a speech to the national
legislature Sunday in which he warned that any move
toward formal independence by Taiwan would mean war.
China sees U-S arms sales to Taiwan as emboldening
pro-independence advocates on the island, and, as
such, as an obstacle to reunification. On Tuesday
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao -- speaking
through an interpreter -- called on Washington to halt
such sales and cease blocking reunification.
/// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY ///
We're also firmly opposed to the U-S arms sales
to Taiwan. We hope the U-S side strictly honors
its commitments and refrains from doing anything
that may cause tension in the Taiwan Strait and
doing anything that may harm or obstruct the
peaceful reunification of China.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
Taiwan is reported to be shopping for new U-S weapons,
including guided missile destroyers. But Washington
will not decide what it is willing to sell the island
until next month.
China announced Monday that it is increasing its
military budget for this year to a record 14-point-
five billion dollars. Mr. Zhu says China's per capita
military spending remains the lowest in the world.
But the Chinese spokesman says China has to build up
its military to deal with what it considers a threat.
/// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY ///
If there's no threat, serious threat, to the
security and the sovereignty of a country, the
defense expenditure will not increase
substantively.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
Mr. Zhu would not say where the threat to China's
security is coming from. But he told reporters they
would understand what he was talking about.
Defense analysts say China's arms purchases and
research and development costs are not included in the
military budget but are hidden in other allocations.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry says Beijing's real military
budget is three to five times larger than the official
figure. (Signed)
NEB/RW/FC/KL
07-Mar-2000 07:35 AM EDT (07-Mar-2000 1235 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
