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U.S. OFFICIAL URGES E.U. NOT TO TILT MILITARY BALANCE WITH CHINA

Central News Agency

2005-06-01 22:17:12

    Washington, June 1 (CNA) U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs R. Nicholas Burns has recently urged the European Union not to unduly affect in a negative way the military balance between the United States and China, particularly concerning the Taiwan Strait.

    Burns made the call in a speech delivered at the Translatic Democracy Network Conference held in Brussels May 26. The State Department issued text of the speech Tuesday.

    In his speech, Burns said that managing relationship with a rising China and continuing to ensure stability and peace in East Asia is a major American preoccupation.

    Since the European Union announced that it was going to lift its arms ban on China, imposed for human rights reasons just following the Tiananmen Square Massacre in June 1989, Burns said, there has been a very vigorous debate between the United States and the E.U. about that.

    The core of the American argument has been that Europe needs to understand that not only did America have security commitments in Europe over the last 60 years, it has the same commitments in Asia. "We are the guarantor of stability in Asia. In the Taiwan Straits and in the entire Asia Pacific region, through our treaty relationships with Japan and South Korea, Australia, and our security commitments to the Philippines and Thailand, an American naval and air presence in Asia has been the single greatest factor. That has meant there has been no major regional war in Asia since the 2nd World War. Certainly no conflict that would directly pit the interests of the great powers in Asia itself," Burns said.

    Against this backdrop, Burns said, Europe had to und erstand how important it was that Europe not unduly affect in a negative way the military balance between China and the United States, particularly concerning the Taiwan Straits as well as the wider responsibilities. "We're very pleased now that the European Parliament has spoken out so clearly on this arms sales issue. It's a difficult one. We understand the motivations of the European Union, but we cannot accept that Europe would move forward when we are alliance partners and we have such profound security interests in East Asia itself.

(By Oliver Lin and Sofia Wu)

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