• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

U.S. PRODS KMT CHAIRMAN OVER ARMS PROCUREMENT DEAL: DPP LAWMAKER

ROC Central News Agency

2006-03-30 23:25:10

    Washington, March 29 (CNA) Taiwan must pay for its freedom and the country needs a strong national defense capability to be able to negotiate with China -- two key points that U.S. officials told Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou during his recent visit to the United States, a visiting lawmaker of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said Wednesday.

    Chiang Chao-i, who is visiting the U.S. capital along with five other DPP legislators, made the revelation following a meeting with U.S. administration officials from the National Security Council and the Department of State earlier the same day.

    The U.S. officials were quoted by Chiang as saying that during their recent meeting with Ma, they referred to a major arms procurement bill long-stalled in Taiwan's opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan, arguing that "freedom is not free" and that Taiwan must assume its share of responsibility and "pay the price" to maintain its freedom.

    Chiang also quoted U.S. officials as having said that ripples from President Chen Shui-bian's decision to cease the functioning of the National Unification Council (NUC) and the application of the National Unification Guidelines have stopped to make an impact.

    The DPP legislative delegation also paid a visit to various congressmen the same day, including senators Christopher Bond, Ron Wyden and members of the House of Representatives Jim McDermott, Gary Ackerman and Solomon Ortiz. It will also hold a seminar with Taiwanese expatriates in the Washington area.

    The purpose of the group's meeting with U.S. congressmen was to seek their support for a Taiwan-U.S. free trade agreement, Chiang said, pointing out however that the U.S. administration has the final say on the issue.

    Ma, head of Taiwan's largest opposition party, returned to Taiwan March 29 from his 10-day, five-city visit to the United States, where he was accorded a high-profile reception. Ma's U.S. visit was deemed successful by more than 70 percent of Taiwanese, poll results showed.

    According to reliable sources, Ma originally had no plans to meet U.S. Defense Department officials while visiting Washington D.C. last week, but the two sides managed to meet for half an hour at the headquarters of the American Institute in Taiwan at the last minute before Ma was to head for the airport March 23, based on the U.S.' initiative.

    Peter Rodman, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, was one of the U.S. officials present, the sources said, adding that the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere.

    The two sides frankly exchanged opinions and reached the agreement that Taiwan needs a capable self-defense to back up its negotiations with China.

    Ma reiterated that the KMT supports a rational military procurement from the United States, but stressed that Taiwan's national defense needs, government finances, public opinion and cross-Taiwan Strait relations must be taken into account.

    Ma also explained to U.S. officials that the KMT has decided to put off proposing its own version of a major arms procurement package to forge common ground with the ruling DPP at the Legislative Yuan after President Chen ceased the functioning of the NUC.

    According to the sources, Ma said that the decision was made to avoid giving the impression to Taiwan's public that the KMT supported President Chen's NUC cessation. But the sources noted the KMT head neither revealed to the U.S. side when the KMT would put forward its military procurement package nor elaborated on its contents.

(By Oliver Lin and Flor Wang)

ENDITEM/diG