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TAIWAN-U.S. MILITARY TALKS EFFECTIVE: TAIWAN OFFICIAL

ROC Central News Agency

2006-07-07 13:54:03

    Washington, July 6 (CNA) Taiwan's representative to the United States on Thursday denied a report suggesting that Taiwan-U.S. military relations have been cooling.

    David Ta-wei Lee was responding to a report published in the latest edition of the U.S.-based Defense News, which said that the annual top-level Taiwan-U.S. security and defense meetings held last week lacked substance and that this could be a sign that Washington is drawing away from Taipei.

    Lee told reporters that the report is unfactual and that the United States has in fact expressed its approval for the talks.

    Lee said that despite the sensitive nature of Taiwan-U.S. military exchanges, the two sides have made much progress in their cooperation and coordination in handling crisis situations over the years.

    For example, Lee said, the computer-aided war games held April in Taipei showed that Taiwan has made obvious improvements in terms of its deterrent capability, and Dennis C. Blair, former commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, has also given his commendation for Taiwan after observing Taiwan's "Han Kuang No. 22" exercise recently.

    Meanwhile, a senior official at the U.S. State Department told Taiwan media that the Defense News report is incorrect.

    The official stressed that the annual military talks is a highly professional dialogue on defense and security issues and is unrelated to politics or the domestic situation in Taiwan.

    The official said Washington is concerned about the delay in Taiwan's arms procurement from the United States and Taiwan's self-defense capabilities but that it is mistaken to link these issues with the Monterey Talks.

    He said Washington hopes the ruling and opposition parties in Taiwan will reach an agreement soon on the procurement.

    Also Thursday, Lee said the U.S. government has expected Taipei to take a concerted stand with Washington on the North Korean nuclear weapons issue.

    Noting that Taiwan and the United States have a lot of common interests on this issue, Lee said the U.S. government has actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to persuade countries in the region and the international community to react strongly to North Korea's nuclear weapon program to exert pressure on Pyongyang to give up the program.

    North Korea test-fired several missiles Wednesday, which has been dubbed by the United States as a "provocative" move. Taiwan has also condemned the move as "threatening to regional peace and global stability."

(By Lin Chieh-yu and Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM/Li