Washington, Feb. 23 (CNA) Neither threats of force nor the actual attempt to carry out any military action against Taiwan is in the interests of the People's Republic of China, French Defense Minister Alain Richard said here Wednesday.
At a press conference with US Defense Secretary William Cohen, Richard said that although he is not the foreign minister, he believes his French colleague would also be able to state this policy in one sentence, namely that "we definitely want the China-Taiwan relationship remain a certain legitimacy of seeking unification, but fundamentally a political relationship that could only be maintained through political means."
Meanwhile, Cohen, commenting on Beijing's strongly worded white paper which threatens "drastic measures," including the military invasion of Taiwan if the island indefinitely delays negotiations for unification, said the US continues to expect that the Taiwan issue will be resolved peacefully rather than with either side resorting to threats or force.
Cohen reiterated that the Pentagon supports the one-China policy and the Taiwan Relations Act, adding that he hopes the Chinese and Taiwanese will seek unification through peaceful means.
Cohen, however, stated that the United States is not yet considering dispatching sea-lift troops to areas near the Taiwan Strait. (By Nelson Chung and Deborah Kuo)
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