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CHINA'S RISE THREATENS ASIAN SECURITY: VICE PREMIER

Central News Agency

2005-07-18 18:49:06

    Taipei, July 18 (CNA) Vice Premier Wu Rong-i said Monday that China's rise as an economic power threatens regional security and stability in Asia.

    Addressing the opening of an international seminar on East Asian security and peace, Wu said China poses a threat to Asian security in the process of its rise.

    In recent years, Wu said, China has stepped up forging ties with neighboring countries in its quest for access to energy supply sources. "This trend is particularly worthy of attention. My observation is that only if China moves toward democratization will its rise contribute to Asia's regional security and stability, " Wu said. Speaking on the same occasion, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tan Sun Chen said a resumption of dialogue across the Taiwan Strait is crucial to regional stability.

    With a view to maintaining regional stability and prosperity, Chen said, the United States and Japan should strengthen military exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan. "While Taiwan has striven to beef up its defense capabilities, it has never intended to provoke a cross-strait war. My opinion is that Taiwan should advocate China's democratization and promote regional democratic reforms to contribute to regional stability and development," Chen said.

    Vice Defense Minister Tsai Ming-hsien said Taiwan welcomes China's rise as a free, open and democratic power that will benefit East Asian security and stability. "However, it seems to me that China is not moving in that direction. Over the past 10 years, China's military spending has increased substantially, posing an enormous threat to Taiwan, " Tsai said.

    While promoting engagements with China, Tsai said, Taiwan has simultaneously endeavored to build up an elite deterrent force to avert any possible invasion from China. "We must continue upgrading our combat prowess and readiness in the face of China's ever-mounting threat. I'm convinced that maintaining a balance of power is a good strategy to cope with China's rise," Tsai said.

    The seminar, co-sponsored by the Taipei-based Foundation on International and Cross-Strait Studies, the Brookings Institution -- a U.S. think tank -- and Tamkang University, brought together scores of local and foreign scholars to discuss a range of topics, including Asian perspectives of China's rise, the U.S. strategies for Asia-Pacific issues and Asia-Pacific regional cooperation.

(By Sofia Wu)

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