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STALLED ARMS BILL A MATTER OF CONCERN TO U.S.: STATE DEP'T ADVISER

ROC Central News Agency

2005-09-16 15:12:12

    Washington, D.C. Sept. 16 (CNA) A senior adviser to the U.S. State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs recently reiterated Washington's serious concern over the long-stalled arms procurement bill in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan and the minimal increase in the island's defense budget over the past few years.

    James Keyth made the reiteration after attending a hearing held by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission under the U.S. Congress Wednesday.

    Talking about issues related to Taiwan's arms procurement bill, the adviser said that the island should take actions to deal with the bill as soon as possible.

    Keyth noted that the United States is growing increasingly concerned about Taiwan's insufficient investment in the purchase of advanced military equipment, including weapons and command-and-monitoring systems, which he said will affect the island's defensive and deterrence capabilities.

    According to Keyth, Taiwan's spending on national defense has only increased slightly over the past few years, while spending on the economy and social welfare has registered double-digit growth during the same period.

    Meanwhile, on former President Lee Teng-hui's reported upcoming visit to the United States, Keyth defined it as a private visit, pointing out that anything Lee might say while in the United States will represent his own opinion and not the policy of the government of Taiwan.

    Asked whether U.S. lawmakers can present the Congressional Human Rights Award to President Chen Shui-bian in a public ceremony during his scheduled upcoming transit stop in Miami, Keyth said that there are norms and rules to regulate Taiwan leader's transit stops in the United States and that these rules remain unchanged.

    Chen is set to make a stopover in Miami next week ahead of his visit to Taiwan's diplomatic allies in Central America. While in the city, Chen will receive the human rights award from the U.S. Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

    Commenting on the lack of dialogue between the governments of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Keyth said that U.S. President George W. Bush had expressed the hope during his recent meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao in New York that Beijing would engage in dialogue with the Taiwan government.

(By Oliver Lin and P.C.Tang)

Enditem/Li