DATE=3/31/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA TAIWAN (L)
NUMBER=2-260813
BYLINE=JIM RANDLE
DATELINE=PENTAGON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Defense Secretary William Cohen says Taiwan
"has a very capable military" even though a top secret
Pentagon report is critical of the island's defenses.
The report says Taiwan may be more vulnerable to
attack that previously recognized because of a lack of
advanced weapons and skilled people to operate them.
V-O-A's Jim Randle reports from the Pentagon.
TEXT: Defense Secretary William Cohen would not
confirm the top secret report's contents, or tell
reporters if the U-S assessment of the island's
defenses has changed recently.
/// Cohen Act ///
Taiwan is still very capable in terms of its
military capability, but there are
recommendations, there are always
recommendations for ways to improve its
capability through training and exercising types
of activities. But we conduct a number of
reports consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act
to assess Taiwan's defense capabilities and
report accordingly.
/// End Act ///
The study, first reported in the Washington Post, says
diplomatic isolation kept some advanced military
technology out of Taiwan's reach. The report suggests
that the island's military forces have not taken full
advantage of computers that can help organize and move
information and commands around a complex battlefield.
The report also says Taiwan's military forces have
done too little to train senior enlisted personnel
needed to operate some of these high tech weapons.
There is criticism as well of poor security at some
Taiwanese military facilities and bitter inter-service
rivalries that weaken the island's defense.
The report comes as top U-S officials are considering
the island's latest request to buy advanced American
weapons. The shopping list is said to include four
sophisticated Aegis destroyers [EDS: warships with
sophisticated computerized missile and radar systems]
and long-range radar that can look thousands of
kilometers into China's mainland.
The administration is expected to reach a decision on
the sale by the end of April.
The sales are strongly supported by the Republican
majority in Congress, including Senate Foreign
Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms. In a
newspaper opinion column, he criticizes the Clinton
Administration for "kowtowing to the Chinese
Communists" and doing too little to help Taiwan resist
"Chinese aggression."
He urges the administration to include Taiwan in a
missile defense program and increase technical help to
the island's military.
Mainland China adamantly opposes the arms sales
because it regards Taiwan as a renegade province that
should be brought back under central government
control. China has threatened to attack Taiwan if the
island declares independence or causes lengthy delays
in moves toward reunification.
Relations between China and Taiwan grew tense before
the recent presidential election on the island, with
Chinese military threats designed to keep voters from
supporting independence-minded candidates. The
strategy failed, as Chen Shui-bian, a candidate who
has supported independence in the past, won the
election. (Signed)
NEB/JR/JP
31-Mar-2000 12:57 PM EDT (31-Mar-2000 1757 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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