Washington, Oct. 25 (CNA) The United States must remain resolute concerning Taiwan's defense needs to minimize the threat to its national security interests in the Asia-Pacific region and prevent conflict with Communist China over Taiwan, Peter Brookes, principal adviser on East Asia with the US House International Relations Committee, stressed Monday.
A theater missile defense should be employed in East Asia as soon as practicable in order to persuade Communist China of the futility of building a large ballistic missile arsenal, said the former director of the Asian Studies Center at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation wrote in the latest issue of Defense News weekly
"Should China continue to expand its deployment of missiles arrayed against Taiwan, the United States should provide theater missile defense to Taipei," said Brookes.
Unfortunately, he pointed out, Communist China continues to refuse to renounce the use of force against Taiwan, and Premier Zhu Rongji's recent comments that sooner or later the future of Taiwan will have to be resolved militarily make that threat all the more ominous.
Therefore, the United States should continue to meet its security commitments to Taipei under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. "A failure to meet Taiwan's legitimate defense needs will make China's military dominance of the Taiwan Straits a reality," noted the senior policy analyst.
Brookes wrote that Beijing's perceptions of Taiwan's growing defense vulnerability could increase the likelihood of them taking military action against the island. Enhancing Taiwan's ability to defend itself promotes US security interests in the region and may convince Communist China that a peaceful resolution to the Taiwan question is the prudent route.
The military technology that Beijing acquired from the United States through espionage or US companies poses an increased threat to US national security and that of America's allies and friends, including Taiwan. It is clearly not in the interest of the United States to assist in Communist China's military modernization, and a strong People's Liberation Army with significant power projection capabilities could be a highly destabilizing force in Asia, he said.
Consequently, Brookes added, it is appropriate for the United States to reauthorize the lapsed Export Administration Act and ensure that American technology is not going to improve the military capability of the Communist Chinese military.
He stressed that national security interests must remain paramount in American foreign policy and how to deal with a rising Communist China is central to a successful American security policy in Asia.
The Beijing government must be left with no doubt that America will resist any attempts by any power to dominate Asia or resolve Taiwan's future militarily. But it must also be made to feel that, within limits, the United States is prepared to engage in a constructive relationship with mainland China and to integrate Beijing increasingly into the current international order, wrote Brookes.
He noted that the greatest challenge for America's policy-makers will be to manage mutually acceptable approaches to regional security, especially with regards to Taiwan. But until that strategic understanding comes to pass, the United States must clearly define red lines for Beijing, maintain the security system that has created stability in the region, remain resolute on Taiwan's defense needs, and revive export controls.
"Only then will the United States successfully minimize the threat to its national security interests in the Asia-Pacific region and prevent conflict with Beijing over Taiwan," concluded Brookes. (by Nelson Chung)
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