Washington, Oct. 27 (CNA) The US government on Wednesday continued to voice its opposition to the Taiwan Security Enforcement Act that was approved by the House International Relations Committee on Tuesday with minor modifications.
A White House spokesman described the bill as "not acceptable" to the Clinton administration, and said "it might destabilize the region."
At the same time, a State Department official said the bill "would diminish prospects for cross-(Taiwan) strait dialogue and peaceful resolution of differences" between mainland China and Taiwan.
Some sources predicted that the bill may not be enacted because it remains uncertain whether or not the Senate will approve it, and even if approved by the Senate, the bill may be vetoed by President Bill Clinton.
The State Department official stated that the legislation would erode the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA)'s commitment to an unofficial US-Taiwan relationship by formalizing military relations.
"This could have the serious, unintended negative consequence of weakening both Taiwan's security and our own security interest in the region," he said.
The official acknowledged that "we believe the bill is predicated on the incorrect assumption that the TRA is not working and needs a fix."
In fact, he pointed out, "the TRA is working well. It's not necessary to amend, strengthen or supplement the TRA." He also stressed that the US government "has steadfastly honored the TRA's mandates and helped ensure the security of Taiwan.
"We have successfully helped Taiwan to satisfy its legitimate defense needs in accordance with the security and arms sales provisions of the TRA, and we will continue to do so," he went on.
The official also said that the US government believes that certain sections of the bill would unconstitutionally interfere with the president's authority and with his ability to carry out his responsibilities regarding the conduct of US foreign relations. (By Jay Chen & Victor Lai)
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