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U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

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QUESTION: Do you have any comment on the detention of an American and an Australian in China in Qinghai Province?

MR. RUBIN: Immediately after hearing of this detention, we requested -- and have since been granted -- consular access. The consular officer will be on the first available flight to Qinghai Province and will arrive late Friday evening. We have urged the Chinese to release the American. We understand they were preparing an independent study of the impact of a proposed World Bank project. That is our understanding of the situation.

QUESTION: I'm wondering, has China communicated recently to the United States that it wants to see America gradually reduce arms sales to Taiwan, saying that such sales are destabilizing to the region and the world? Did such demands -- if they were to be classified that way -- come in a letter from President Jiang Zemin to President Clinton?

MR. RUBIN: Let me say that President Clinton and President Jiang have exchanged correspondence on several occasions in recent months. The Secretary of State has spoken to the Foreign Minister on several occasions in recent months.

My experience has been that whenever the subject of Taiwan comes up -- and especially at times when the subject is of greater interest -- that the Chinese position has been to oppose arms sales to Taiwan in general and to make the points that you made.

That is a continuing position of China; they continue to have that view. We continue to take the view that we are guided by the Taiwan Relations Act and the three communiqués, and will act in accordance with those to provide the equipment we think appropriate to Taiwan.

QUESTION: Can I just follow that, too? Do you have any comment, just reaction to the ambassador's statements today basically saying that Taiwan is not Florida, and that the US should not interfere in internal matters of Taiwan and China?

MR. RUBIN: Well, our relations with China and our unofficial relations with Taiwan have been guided by the Taiwan Relations Act and the three communiqués for many years. We think the differences between China and Taiwan can be resolved peacefully. We think our policy promotes that kind of peaceful resolution, and is to the benefit to the people of Taiwan as well as to the people of China.

So we act pursuant to those guidelines in a way in which we think promotes peace in the region and promotes the welfare and well-being of the people of Taiwan and the people of China.

QUESTION: The US still has not seen any extraordinary developments on the part of Beijing in terms of movements?

MR. RUBIN: No, we have not seen any extraordinary developments.

QUESTION: The Taiwan Cabinet has announced plans to put forth to Parliament the idea of setting up an early warning system to detect airborne Chinese planes and missiles and, ultimately, to have a total missile defense system. First of all, what's your view of that proposal? And in the event Taiwan goes ahead with some early warning system, would the United States be prepared to help with equipment or advice?

MR. RUBIN: First of all, those are obviously decisions that Taiwan has made. With respect to our involvement in them, let me say that Taiwan's security in the region depends on more than a balance of weapons systems. We have strongly urged both China and Taiwan to engage in dialogue and to resolve differences in a peaceful manner. That is one of the key components of security in the region. The record clearly shows that good US-China relations contribute to reduced tensions in the region.

With respect to the specific suggestion on theater missile defense, let me say that we will continue to assist Taiwan in meeting its legitimate self-defense needs in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and consistent with the 1982 joint communiqué with China.

Among the items Taiwan has already purchased has been technology for Taiwan's modified air defense system, which has anti-aircraft and anti-missile capabilities. The Taiwan authorities are assessing their own capability and needs for missile defense, as these comments and suggestions you reported indicate. We have made no US decisions here in the United States on deployment of theater missile defense systems, other than for the protection of American forces in the region.

We do not preclude the possible sale of theater missile defense systems to Taiwan in the future. Our interest is in preserving peace and stability in the region. It is premature to make that decision about theater missile development now, when those systems are still under development and both we and others are studying this question.

QUESTION: Does it concern you at all that the Chinese Ambassador repeatedly today refused to rule out the option of the use of force by China against Taiwan?

MR. RUBIN: Well, we've been operating for many years now, as I said in response to the previous question, under a framework in which our relations have been guided by the Taiwan Relations Act and the various communiqués. We believe that has been to the benefit of the people of China, the people of Taiwan and stability in the region.

For some time now, the Chinese have taken the position you describe. There is nothing new about them taking that position; they've been taking it for years.

QUESTION: What's your reaction to it?

MR. RUBIN: We believe very strongly, and have said very strongly, that all the dispute between China and Taiwan must be resolved peacefully. We've made clear that the use of force would be a matter of grave concern to the United States.

QUESTION: Follow-up on that. I know that last week you hadn't heard this, but I wondered whether this week people in think tanks were passing on the message they've been receiving from Chinese officials --

MR. RUBIN: I'm not aware of that.

QUESTION: -- on the inevitability of some kind of military gesture by the Chinese.

MR. RUBIN: I'm aware of the reports about it; I'm not aware that any of those reported outsiders have talked to our people. They haven't told me. I can't rule it out; I'm just unaware of it.

QUESTION: -- the ratcheting up of the rhetoric in the government-controlled media; for instance, the statement that a neutron bomb can take care of an aircraft carrier?

MR. RUBIN: Well, let me just say that we, as a matter of policy, would view with grave concern any use of force to resolve that dispute. We do not want to engage in a to-ing and fro-ing on who can do what under what circumstances. But we would view with grave concern any use of force.

QUESTION: Two seconds -- and I don't want to split hairs. I want to go back to the two people that were detained in China. Is there some reason that you aren't calling on the Chinese to release the Australian?

MR. RUBIN: There's no particular reason. Again, as the State Department for the United States, our primary responsibility is to American citizens overseas.

QUESTION: Yes, but, I mean, you're also calling on the Iranians for the release of --

MR. RUBIN: I'm going to get to that, OK? So when an American is taken in a situation like this, the first thing we do is call for the American to be released. Then we seek access to him, pursuant to the Vienna Convention.

I will have to check, but I don't see any reason why the Australian shouldn't be released either. It certainly would be our view that anyone in this position ought not to be imprisoned for doing what was envisaged by the World Bank; and that is to examine the project in that area that the Chinese themselves indicated they would provide access to.

So -- provided there weren't some internal laws broken, which I'm not familiar with -- we call for people in that position to be released.

QUESTION: Tell me what exactly the status is of the nomination of Admiral Prueher as Ambassador to China. It seems to me that at this point in time with everything going on in the US-China relationship that it's really vital to have an ambassador there. It would seem that placing that on fast track would put us in a --

MR. RUBIN: It is the prerogative of the President to nominate ambassadors for countries; so therefore, that question is best directed at the White House. I don't believe they've nominated an ambassador formally. So anything I say will be inappropriate.

QUESTION: The Chinese ambassador this morning seemed to be particularly concerned that American defense of Taiwan would become an issue in the presidential campaign. For instance, George W. Bush yesterday promised that if he becomes president he would defend Taiwan's independence. The ambassador said this morning, "A few American politicians have already said the US would defend Taiwan against invasion. I believe this is a very dangerous statement. The Chinese people will not be cowed by anybody's threats or blackmail." Are you concerned that this delicate issue of whether or not we would defend Taiwan is becoming an issue in the presidential campaign?

MR. RUBIN: Wow. Good question; well-formulated, well-researched. The only thing I can do in a situation like this is to quote Secretary Albright, which is that she had her partisan instincts surgically removed when she took the post of Secretary of State. Since I work for someone who has no partisan instincts left after being surgically removed, I certainly wouldn't want to say anything that could even be construed as partisan.

What I can say is that it is the view of this Administration and this President and this Secretary of State that the issue of Taiwan is best dealt with through the means that we have been dealing with it. That is, encouraging dialogue between Taiwan and China; acting pursuant to the Taiwan Relations Act; pursuing a relationship with China that advances the national security of the United States through improvements in their practices on non-proliferation, cooperation with respect to the issue of North Korea, and other matters that I've repeated endlessly here in the briefing room. That is our view.

I am confident that the Chinese understand our political process, having worked with this country through several different administrations that have changed. I would hope they would understand the democratic process and act according to that understanding.

How did I do, by the way, on that? Did I navigate it OK?

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: It seems that Beijing is not only directing their threats towards Taiwan, but they're directing them towards the United States. I mean, the statements that are coming out of there are very strong. Are you all alarmed at those type of statements?

MR. RUBIN: As I indicated, we believe that the issue of Taiwan must be resolved peacefully. We would view with grave concern any attempt to use military force. That is our view. In the meantime, we will continue to work with China and work through our unofficial relationship with Taiwan to promote a peaceful dialogue. That is our position.

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(The briefing concluded at 2:05 P.M.)

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