Taipei, Nov. 1 (CNA) Despite President Lee Teng-hui's redefinition of Taiwan-mainland China ties as a "special state-to-state relationship" in July, US arms sales to Taiwan will not be affected, National Defense Minister Tang Fei said on Monday.
Lee's statement cast a shadow of uncertainty over Washington-Taipei-Beijing ties, but Tang said that the US Department of Defense has given clear assurance to the Republic of China government, citing the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), Washington's policy framework in its dealings with Taiwan, and the US' own interest.
The defense minister made the remarks while answering questions on the issue from lawmakers at the Legislative Yuan.
As Lee's "special relationship" theory was aired at a time when Washington-Beijing ties were at a low ebb because of the US' "mistaken" bombing of the mainland Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Tang said Beijing sought to use the opportunity to intimidate Taiwan, even going so far as sending warplanes into Taiwan airspace over the Taiwan Strait.
Given the fact that most American people were opposed to Beijing's belligerent move, Washington could not afford to see mainland China invade Taiwan, thus prompting the Clinton Administration to reiterate its adherence to the TRA, according to Tang.
As Beijing has set cross-strait ties as an issue linked to "unification-independence" and has stepped up its efforts to instill anti-Taiwan ideology among mainland China's armed forces since Lee's theory was broadcast, Tang emphasized that Taiwan should remain on high alert to prevent any attempt by Beijing to escalate military tension between the two sides.
Tang expressed the hope that the military budget for the next fiscal year would reach a "more adequate level" of at least 3 percent of the country's gross national product (GNP), and added that if it is approved, it will be allocated for the development of information warfare, anti-missile defense systems and conventional weapons, in that order.
He pointed out that mainland China has earmarked 80 billion renminbi for the coming year's military spending, and reiterated his opinion that Taiwan's military expenditure should be increased to 3 percent of the GNP.
Taiwan's military budget for the current fiscal year only accounted for 2.74 percent of the island's GNP, according to Tang, who added that this level will cause Taiwan to lag far behind in the battle to maintain its present military supremacy in the Taiwan Strait, and will allow the mainland's military clout to surpass that of Taiwan by 2005. (By Flor Wang)
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