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UNITED STATES ENCOURAGES TAIWAN TO BOOST DEFENSE SPENDING

ROC Central News Agency

2006-05-20 17:08:47

    Washington, May 19 (CNA) The U.S. State Department said Friday that it does not take a position on Taiwan's National Security Report, but it encourages Taiwan to boost its defense spending.

    A State Department spokesman made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a reporter's question about Taiwan's first such report released earlier the same day in Taipei. "We do not take a position on the report, which is the business of the people of Taiwan," the spokesman said. "It is appropriate that the people of Taiwan and their elected representatives should seek to define in a comprehensive way the security issues facing Taiwan," he said. "We encourage Taiwan to boost its defense spending, concentrating in particular on immediate challenges of hardening and sustainability," he added.

    The spokesman also reaffirmed that its policy on cross-Taiwan relations remains unchanged. "We pursue our 'one China' policy based on the three U.S.-PRC Joint Communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act. The United States does not support Taiwan independence and opposes unilateral changes to the status quo by either Beijing or Taipei," the spokesman said.

(By Jorge Liu and Lilian Wu)

enditem/Li