Bucking China, U.S. Congress to vote on Taiwan

By Adam Entous
WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress are pressing ahead with legislation to boost U.S. military ties with Taiwan, bucking the White House and risking a backlash from China ahead of a critical vote on a landmark trade agreement with Beijing.

The legislation, scheduled for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, would establish direct military communications between Washington and Taipei and expand U.S. training of Taiwanese military officers.

The Clinton administration opposes the bill, the so-called Taiwan Security Enhancement Act, warning it may increase tensions in the region. China said it could threaten Sino-U.S. ties if it passed.

Trade officials worry that the legislation would bog down President Bill Clinton's market-opening agreement with China, which Congress will take up later this year.

"This is a political year, and everyone is going to try to extract some price," said Greg Mastel, a trade expert at the New America Foundation.

HELD LAST YEAR

The Taiwan measure was put on hold last year, Republican aides said, out of concern its passage would derail sensitive negotiations over China's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Those negotiations were wrapped up in November in an agreement that would require China to open a wide range of markets, from agriculture to telecommunications.

In exchange for China opening its markets, Clinton must persuade Congress to grant Beijing favorable access to U.S. markets -- so-called permanent normal trade relations (NTR) status. Permanent normal trade relations would guarantee Chinese goods the same low-tariff access to U.S. markets as products from nearly every other nation.

The trade agreement is backed by big business and free-trade Republicans, who say it will benefit U.S. companies and help keep the economy strong.

But U.S. labor groups, traditionally allied with Clinton's Democratic Party, are mounting a grass-roots campaign against the trade pact, which could put Vice President Al Gore in a political bind. Gore, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, is counting on labor's support in the November election.

BEIJING THREATENS INVASION

Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has threatened to invade the island if it declares independence.

In July, Taiwan angered Beijing when President Lee Teng-hui declared bilateral ties should be on a "special state-to-state" basis. Beijing saw Lee's call as a dangerous lurch toward independence.

The confrontation alarmed the Republican-controlled Congress, which is packed with strong Taiwan supporters, many of whom view Clinton's foreign policy as too "soft" on China.

The bill, introduced by one of the most powerful Republicans in the House, Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas, would direct the U.S. military to train more Taiwanese officers.

It would also require the president to report to Congress annually on Taiwan's defense requests and make it harder for the administration to limit arms sales to Taipei.

The bill was approved by the International Relations Committee in October after lawmakers stripped out its most controversial provisions.

The original would have cleared the way for Washington to supply Taiwan with advanced air-and sea-based weapons, including missile defense systems, diesel submarines, satellite technology and air-to-air missiles.

If approved by the House, the bill would have to be reconciled with a similar measure in the Senate. It would then face a presidential veto.

) copyright 2000 Reuters, Ltd.

-- Possible Impact (posim@hotmail.com), January 28, 2000

Answers

Taiwan seeks Patriot missiles United Press International - January 28, 2000 06:44

By WILLY MA

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Taiwan plans to ask the United States for three sets of Patriot anti-missile systems to protect the island against a possible Chinese missile attack.

Reports Friday said a draft administrative report prepared by Premier Vincent Siew for presentation to the Legislative Yuan (Congress) next month indicates the Patriots would be deployed in central and southern Taiwan.

Defense Minister Tang Fei confirmed that Taiwan was seeking the missiles.

Military officials said the new systems would be in addition to three sets of Patriots requested earlier, to be installed in the greater metropolitan area in northern Taiwan.

At a Washington news conference on Thursday, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Walter Slocombe asked China to refrain from exacerbating tension in the Taiwan Strait during presidential polls in Taiwan, scheduled for March 18.

Lt. Gen. Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of staff of the People's Liberation Army, returned to China on Wednesday after concluding three days of talks with U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen. Reports said Xiong asked the United States to remain committed to the terms of the Shanghai Communique which, forbids the United States to sell arms to Taiwan.

Xiong was reportedly told that Chinese missile deployments could lead to a U.S. decision to provide Taiwan with arms under the Theater Missile Defense system, which is still being tested.

Taiwanese military officials said that, apart from the Patriots, Taiwan hopes to acquire Aegis missile and radar combat systems for its naval fleet. Citing a growing missile threat from China, they said the Chung-shan Institute of Science and Technology, a branch of the National Defense Ministry, was working to development anti-cruise missiles and other missile defense systems.

They said Taiwan's U.S.-made F-16s, French-produced Mirage 2000-5 jet fighters and Taiwan-prototype Indigenous Defense Fighters were undergoing renovation, while construction of nine Taiwan-built warships will be complete by the end of this year.

China maintains Taiwan is a breakaway province of China, while Taiwan says it is a separate, sovereign state. Both sides have indicated their willingness to settle disputes and differences by peaceful means.

-- Copyright 2000 by United Press International. All rights reserved.

-- Johnny (jljtm@bellsouth.net), January 28, 2000.

Hm, if this is spin then we're being set-up to approve patriots to go to China. Imagine, if Taiwan is renegade, they will eventually fall to China if unassisted. So our Patriots will then be the property of China, and reverse engineered.

Unless Taiwan is actively engaged in battle with China, my thought is this article is spin.

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 28, 2000.

Hokie,
Please try this article.
Taiwan: Democracy before Reunification
It is closer than you think.


-- Possible Impact (posim@hotmail.com), January 28, 2000.

Taiwan is and always has been a part of
China. Chiang Kai Shek ran there after
Mao kicked him out of Beijing. Every country
in the world including the US accepts this.
If Taiwan persues state to state relations
between itself and other countries, China
has no other option but to invade or lose
this island for good. They have restrained
themselves from an invasion as long as the
US accepts eventual reunification and Chinese
sovereignty.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), January 29, 2000.

Spider,

You're right, that Taiwan has always been a part of China, but Chaing Kai-shek (forgive the Okie spelling) established a different government which has ruled Taiwan for a half a century. We must recognize the actions of the governing body of an area has significance. Otherwise, why make today's modern Germans pay reparations for the actions of a fallen Nazi regime? It would be wonderful if we could take the most traditional approach to national sovereignty - the racial origin of the people living in the area as the rule of nationality. However, where would that put America? Would she then split into a number of pieces as has happened in Yugoslavia under the auspices of NATO authority?

-- Okie Dan (brendan@theshop.net), January 29, 2000.

We must recognize the actions of the governing body of an area has significance.

Many times in history has a nation taken
land from another nation, populated it with
their own people, created a new government
and called it its own. The losing party
many times recognizes this as a temporary
loss because of the military balance of
the time and fight for the future hope that
their land will be returned. The loss of Taiwan
from the Chinese could only have happened with
the military power and the US interest in control
in Taiwan. When this military balance shifts
towards the Chinese, they will restore their
sovereignty. Otherwise, why make today's modern Germans pay reparations for the actions of a fallen Nazi regime? It would be wonderful if we could take the most traditional approach to national sovereignty - the racial origin of the people living in the area as the rule of nationality. However, where would that put America? Would she then split into a number of pieces as has happened in Yugoslavia under the auspices of NATO authority?

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), January 29, 2000.

I have had the privilage of visiting Taiwan on business this last summer. This country has a separate monetary/banking system and the people are very free, in spirit, opinion, and reality. I don't see them subjecting themselves to communism very willingly or easily - not in this lifetime. As the grass is green and the sky blue, posturing and politics aside, there is no escaping the simple reality that Taiwan is a free and independent state.

John.

-- John (gohoopla@aol.com), January 29, 2000.