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Taiwan Strait is int'l waters, says US military commander

ROC Central News Agency

2008-01-17 21:52:03

    Hong Kong, Jan 17 (CNA) The U.S. military's Asia-Pacific commander said Thursday the Taiwan Strait is international waters and the U.S. military can exercise its free right of passage whenever it chooses. "If operational matters recommend transit of the Taiwan Strait, we will pass through the Taiwan Strait, " said Adm. Timothy Keating, who was speaking at a news conference during his stopover in Hong Kong, shortly after his visit to mainland China.

    But he noted that the U.S. military does not enter the waters to inflame passion.

    Keating, head of the United States Pacific Command, also refuted recent Taiwanese news reports which claimed that a U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Kitty Hawk, was closely monitored by a Chinese submarine and military fleet loaded with missiles, as it plied the Strait last November. "When we saw that report, I was surprised. We went back and checked with our headquarters and to the best of my ability to tell today, there is no foundation to that report," Keating said. "And I am certainly unaware, as a pacific commander, of that activity that you just described, " he said, responding to a reporter's question about the reports.

    Regarding his just concluded three-day visit to mainland China, Keating said the main purpose of the visit was to meet with Chinese officials so as to develop trusts and to establish a way of communicating with them when situations arise. "So, if something comes up that requires some background, some explanation or is a time critical nature or both, I can make a phone call and have someone" on the other end, Keating said. "I don't know for a fact that will happen, but I am much more confident today than I was prior to my visit in May that the procedure I just described will be executed," he said.

    Keating also revealed that in a couple of conversations, Chinese leaders he met with had made their position on Taiwan clear to him.

    And Keating had provided them the U.S. position on Taiwan, which he described as a "satisfactory answer" to the Chinese side. "It is a well-known position. It is an unrelenting position. It has been the same position since 1979," he said.

    During the talks with the Chinese leaders, Keating said he also emphasized the United States pays careful attention to elements that Washington might view as destabilizing and the U.S. intention to address those should they develop. "I would say the discussions on Taiwan were less fractious, less heated, and more amiable than they were during my first visit, " he said.

(By Stanley Cheung)

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