DATE=  10/9/97

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

NUMBER=5-37740

TITLE=TAIWAN  SECURITY / U-S RELATIONS

BYLINE=CHRIS SIMKINS

DATELINE=TAIPEI

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO: WHEN CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN TRAVELS TO WASHINGTON, 

LATER THIS MONTH, U-S POLITICAL AND MILITARY SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN 

IS ONE OF THE ISSUES HE IS LIKELY TO DISCUSS. CHINA OBJECTS 

STRONGLY TO U-S MILITARY SALES TO TAIWAN.  AS VOA'S CHRIS SIMKINS

REPORTS FROM TAIPEI,  TAIWANESE AND AMERICAN OFFICIALS SAY THE 

DEFENSE ARRANGEMENTS ARE NECESSARY TO DETER CHINA.    



TEXT:  TAIWAN SAYS IT CONTINUES TO IMPROVE ITS MILITARY 

CAPABILITIES TO PREVENT CHINA FROM TRYING TO RE-UNIFY THE ISLAND 

WITH THE MAINLAND BY FORCE.   TAIWAN DEFENSE ANALYST ANDREW YANG 

PUTS WHAT HE SEES AS THE THREAT IN STARK TERMS.



                        /// YANG ACT /// 



          THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE POTENTIAL DANGER WITH REGARD TO 

         THE P-R-C'S (PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA) MILITARY THREAT

         AND THAT IS THE RATIONALE FOR OUR MLITARY ESTABLISHMENT.

         WE FOCUS ON THE THREE POTENTIAL THREATS NAMELY THE AIR 

         ATTACK, THE LANDING OF THE P-R-C FORCES, AND ALSO AFTER 

         LANDING THE P-R-C FORCES WHO WILL ATTEMPT TO TAKE OVER 

         TAIWAN.



                           /// END ACT ///



 MR. YANG SAYS IN ORDER TO COUNTER THE THREAT, TAIWAN HAS RELIED 

HEAVILY ON THE UNITED STATES FOR ARMS. THE TWO SIDES SIGNED A 

SECURITY PACT IN 1979,  IN WHICH THE UNITED STATES PLEDGED TO 

PROVIDE TAIWAN WITH DEFENSIVE WEAPONS.  OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS 

THE U-S HAS INCREASED ITS ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN, ESPECIALLY 

ADVANCED WEAPONS SUCH AS TANKS, F-16 FIGHTER JETS, AND PATRIOT 

ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEMS. 



MR. YANG SAYS THAT SINCE 1992, THE UNITED STATES HAS INCREASED 

ITS MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO THE ISLAND,  IN WHAT HE CALLS A SIGN 

THE UNITED STATES WANTS TO MAINTAIN PEACE IN THE ASIA PACIFIC 

REGION.



                                 /// YANG ACT ///



         IT IS IN U-S SECURITY INTEREST TO MAINTAIN PEACE AND 

         STABILITY IN THIS REGION AND TAIWAN IS CERTAINLY PART OF

         THE U-S SECURITY CONCERN. THIS HAS BEEN INDICATED VERY 

         CLEARLY IN THE TAIWAN RELATIONS ACT SIGNED IN EARLY 

         1979. IN ARTICLE THREE IT INDICATES VERY CLEARLY THAT 

         THE U-S WILL CONTINUE SUPPLYING THE NECESSARY DEFENSIVE 

         WEAPONS SYSTEMS AND NECESSARY DEFENSE SERVICE TO TAIWAN 

         SO THAT TAIWAN CAN DEFEND ITSELF AND MAINTAIN STABILITY 

         IN THIS REGION.



                                       /// END ACT ///



CHINA -- WHICH CONSIDERS TAIWAN A RENEGADE PROVINCE -- SEES THE 

RELATIONSHIP DIFFERENTLY.  THEY SAY IT IS A VIOLATION OF THE 

UNITED STATES' COMITTMENT TO A ONE-CHINA POLICY AND THAT IT 

ENCOURAGES THOSE ON THE ISLAND THAT ARE SEEKING INDEPENDENCE.



BEIJING WAS INFURIATED WHEN THE UNITED STATES RESPONDEND TO  LIVE

FIRE MISSILE EXERCISES NEAR TAIWAN IN MARCH 1996, BY DISPATCHING 

TWO AIRCRAFT CARRIERS TO THE AREA. 



FORMER U-S SECRETARY OF STATE GEORGE SHULTZ COMMENTS THAT DESPITE

BEIJING'S OBJECTIONS, THE UNITED STATES ARMS SALES AND OTHER 

MILITARY SUPPORT WILL LIKELY CONTINUE, AS LONG AS CHINA MAINTAINS

WHAT HE TERMS AGGRESSIVE MILITARY BEHAVIOR TOWARDS THE ISLAND.  

MR. SCHULTZ WAS SPEAKING IN A RECENT INTERVIEW WITH VOA IN HONG 

KONG.



                                 /// SHULTZ ACT ///



         WE (THE UNITED STATES ) HAVE UNDERTAKEN AN AGREEMENT 

         WITH THE TAIWANESE THAT THE CHINESE WERE WELL AWARE OF 

         AT THE TIME IT WAS WORKED OUT, TO HAVE OUR ARM SALES 

         GRADUALLY DECREASED IN PROPORTION TO THE NATURE OF THE 

         SITUATION.  NOW ALL OF THE UPROAR ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WITH

         THE CHINESE DEMONSTRATIONS OF MISSILE TECHNOLOGY ACROSS 

         THE STRAIT, PROBABLY MEANS THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE

         TO HAVE A FLOW OF ARMS OR SALES OF ARMS BECAUSE OF JUST 

         THAT DEMONSTRATION.



                              /// END ACT ///



THE FORMER AMERICAN SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS REDUCED U-S ARMS 

SALES TO TAIWAN COULD HELP IMPROVE THE DIPLOMATIC CLIMATE.  BUT 

SOME MILITARY ANALYSTS DISAGREE.  THEY SAY TAIWAN SHOULD CONTINUE

BUILDING UP ITS DEFENSE CAPABILITIES TO COUNTER THE MODERNIZATION

OF CHINA'S PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY.  



TAIWANESE MILITARY LEADERS POINT TO WHAT THEY SAY IS A CHINESE 

TROOP BUILD-UP ACROSS THE STRAIT AND MODERNIZATION OF CHINESE 

MISSILES, CAPABLE OF CARRYING NUCLEAR WEAPONS. BUT SOME ANALYSTS,

DOWNPLAY CONCERNS OF A CHINESE THREAT,  MAINTAINING CHINA'S ARMED

FORCES STILL LACK THE CAPABILITYTO SUCCESSFULLY INVADE THE 

HEAVILY ARMED ISLAND. (SIGNED) 



  NEB/CS/FC/EH



 







09-Oct-97 3:53 AM EDT (0753 UTC)

NNNN



Source: Voice of America

.