Warmer cross-strait ties help Taiwan's preventive defense: Perry
ROC Central News Agency
2011/07/01 12:24:36
Taipei, July 1 (CNA) Taiwan has actively improved relations with China over the past three years, a policy that has helped build mutual trust across the Taiwan Strait and is conducive to Taiwan's defense if viewed from a war prevention point of view, former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry said Thursday.
Perry, co-author of a new book "Preventive Defense," said he was highly impressed by Taiwan's measures taken over the past three years to improve cross-strait relations, including the opening of direct air- and shipping-links with China.
He said there will be millions of Chinese people coming to Taiwan, and they will meet Taiwanese people and see democracy in action.
"All of those things I consider to be preventive defense measures, which will make military actions unnecessary," he said during an interview with the CNA.
Perry, who served as the United States Secretary of Defense from 1994 to 1997, said one of the core concepts of preventive defense is preventing threats from occurring.
Perry, currently teaching at Stanford University, is leading an eight-person delegation to Taiwan from June 29-July 1. He has met with President Ma Ying-jeou, Foreign Minister Timothy Yang, Defense Minister Kao Hua-chu, and Mainland Affairs Council Minister Lai Shin-yuan.
During the talks with Perry, Ma said institutionalizing cross-strait relations is the best defense for Taiwan. Taiwan, however, will not relent in beefing up its self-defense capability, and that's the main reason the government has been firm about acquiring F-16 C/D jet fighters, he added. Washington has yet to agree to sell Taiwan the advanced fighters. (By Emmanuelle Tzeng and Deborah Kuo) enditem/cs
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