China scolded the United States on Thursday for its planned sale of long-range early-warning radar worth up to $1.78 billion to Taiwan, which Beijing considers a breakaway province.
The Pentagon said the ground-based, ultra-high-frequency radar would boost Taiwan's ability to "identify and detect ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and air-breathing target threats", or weapons that operate in the Earth's atmosphere.
The United States acknowledges China's claim to Taiwan, but makes no statement about Taiwan's status. It remains the self-ruling island's main arms supplier, major trade partner and biggest ally despite last month's controversial re-election of pro-independence President Chen Shui-bian.
"We have always opposed US sales of advanced weapons to Taiwan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told reporters in Beijing.
"Especially under the current complicated and sensitive situation across the Taiwan Strait, we ask the United States to be faithful to what it says and abide by its promises and not send the wrong signal to Taiwan's independence (seekers)."
For his part, Chen urged the United States to take a "more active, constructive" role in encouraging dialogue between Taiwan and China, diplomatic and ideological foes since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.
In a newspaper interview published on Thursday, Chen made clear he had no intention of backing down from his stance that Taiwan and China were separate entities or to ease off on policy proposals to which Beijing objects. But he sought to reassure Washington he would not draw it into a conflict with China.
"We will not draw any country, especially the United States, into a conflict in the Taiwan Strait," said Chen, whose narrow re-election on March 20 is being challenged by the opposition.
On Monday, Chen declared that his poll victory gave him a mandate to press for independence despite the risk of war with China, which has about 500 short-range missiles aimed at the island.
It has threatened force if Taipei drags its feet on reunification.
"Nothing should be read into the timing of this announcement," said Lieutenant Commander Flex Plexico, a Pentagon spokesman, of the planned radar sale.
"It was the next step in a long process."
The sale would "contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security and defensive capability of the recipient", the Pentagon's Defence Security and Co-operation Agency said.
The deal has been in the works since 1999, when it was approved in principle by then-president Bill Clinton, said Shirley Kan, an expert on US arms sales to Taiwan at the research arm of the Library of Congress.
The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979. But the Taiwan Relations Act of the same year obliges Washington to supply weapons powerful enough for Taiwan "to maintain a sufficient self-defence capability" against a Chinese attack.
Comments
Comments are closed.