- TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan
said Thursday the United States may take part in the island's annual war
games for the first time in more than two decades in a move certain to
irk China.
-
- Pressed by opposition lawmakers, Vice Defense Minister
Chen Chao-min said the U.S. military was likely to participate in the 2003
Han Kuang, or Chinese Glory, exercises currently being planned.
-
- "It's possible that they will take part (in the
drills) as part of exchanges and give us some guidance," Chen told
a televised meeting of parliament's defense sub-committee. He gave no further
details.
-
- The mass-circulation China Times newspaper, quoting unidentified
sources, said U.S. military personnel would be present at Taiwan's military
command center during this year's Han Kuang drills, usually held in the
summer.
-
- But to avoid controversy, the U.S. participation would
be in the name of preparation for a possible evacuation of American expatriates
on the island, the Taipei-based daily reported.
-
- The U.S. embassy in Beijing and the Chinese Foreign Ministry
had no immediate comment.
-
- Beijing regards Taiwan as a rebel province that must
be brought back into the fold, by force if necessary, and strongly opposes
its allies forming any military links with the island.
-
- Taiwan and China have been rivals since 1949, when Chiang
Kai-shek's Nationalist armies fled the island to escape Mao Zedong's Communist
forces as they seized control of mainland China.
-
- Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei
to Beijing in 1979, but remains Taiwan's main trading partner and arms
supplier.
-
- In April 2001, President Bush offered to sell Taiwan
diesel-electric submarines, Kidd-class destroyers and 12 P-3C Orion aircraft
in the biggest arms sales in a decade.
-
- The U.S. Navy kicked off a potential $4.5 billion competition
to help Taiwan buy up to eight conventional submarines in December, despite
strong opposition from China.
-
-
-
- Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited
without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable
for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance
thereon.
|
