TAIWAN WATCHES CLOSELY TMD-RELATED DEVELOPMENTS: SPOKESMAN
Taipei, Aug. 21 (CNA) Continuing to provide Taiwan with defensive arms is the consistent policy of the United States, and Taiwan will keep a close watch on developments relating to its proposed inclusion in a US missile defense shield, government spokesman Chen Chien-jen said on Saturday.
US State Department spokesman James Rubin on Friday hinted that the United States may keep the door open for Taiwan to join a US anti-missile program, saying that "we would view with grave concern any use of force against Taiwan, and we don't preclude the possible sale of theater missile defenses (TMD) to Taiwan in the future."
The United States would help Taiwan defend itself according to the provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act and the three communiques signed between Washington and Beijing, said Rubin.
Dismissing Beijing's alleged demand that Washington cut off all arms supplies to Taiwan, Rubin said at a press conference on Friday that the United States would honor the TRA and supply Taiwan with weapons necessary for its defense.
Rubin said that although Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui has declared the island's willingness to join the TMD program, weaponry alone would not guarantee the island's security.
Instead, the State Department spokesman touted the importance of dialogue in resolving peacefully any disputes between Taipei and Beijing.
Chen said Taiwan welcomes Rubin's statement amid increased tension in the Taiwan Strait in light of President Lee Teng-hui's statehood assertion and reports that Beijing is elbowing Washington to stop all arms sales to Taiwan.
Rubin's remarks are also encouraging in that they come just one day after President Lee voiced his backing for Taiwan's inclusion in the US-initiated TMD system and the Ministry of National Defense's (MND) announcement that Taiwan will establish a comprehensive missile defense system step-by-step in accordance with its financial strength, Chen noted.
Chen said the MND is studying the feasibility of joining the TMD program. The MND now places top priority on building up an early-warning system to cope with mounting mainland Chinese missile threats and Taiwan's future air-defense needs. An early-warning system will allow the military to quickly detect aerial activities by enemy warplanes and thus secure more time for preparing counterattacks, he added.
Although mainland Chinese Ambassador Li Zhaoxing on Thursday launched a vitriolic attack on President Lee's "special state-to-state" assertion on cross-strait relations, Chen said international opinion leaders have now shifted their attention from Lee's remarks to Beijing-Taipei tensions and possible changes in the situation in the Taiwan Strait. (By Deborah Kuo)
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