• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

U.S. ADJUSTING MILITARY DEPLOYMENT WITH CHINA IN MIND: SHRIVER

Central News Agency

2005-07-13 21:20:28

    Taipei, July 13 (CNA) The United States sees China's rise as a potential challenge to U.S. interests in Asia, and has been adjusting U.S. military deployment in the Asia-Pacific region as a precaution against possible developments contrary to these interests, a former U.S. government official said in Taipei Wednesday.

    Randall G. Shriver, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state in charge of Taiwan affairs over the past two years, told the Central News Agency in an interview that the United States does not necessarily expect China to become a rival, nor does the United States intend to contain China.

    In fact, he said, America has been training a lot of scientists for China, and the two countries have very close economic and trade relations.

    However, Shriver added, no one should gloss over the fact that China's rise constitutes a potential challenge to U.S. interests in Asia.

    Shriver, who now works at a consulting firm run by former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, said a review of America's military deployment in the Asia-Pacific region is long overdue because with the Cold War already over, the United States needs to make some adjustments, bearing in mind that Taiwan and the Korean peninsula as two possible flash points.

    The former U.S. official noted that some adjustments are already underway, including moving long-range bombers and attack submarines to Guam and stealth bombers to South Korea, as well as the redeployment of troops from the U.S. West Coast to Japan.

    Asked to comment on the belief by certain experts that China is trying to develop relationships with India and Australia in an attempt to offset U.S. influence in the region, Shriver said that the United States is not interested in playing a zero-sum game.

    He said the United States would like to see China develop good relationships with India and Australia, and at the same time, the United States is also trying to strengthen its friendship and cooperation with these countries.

(By Han Nai-kuo)

ENDITEM/mw