The CIA is concerned that China's military build up could tilt the cross-strait military balance against Taiwan, and at the same time pose an increased threat to the US, the new CIA director, Porter Goss, told Congress Wednesday.
Goss also warned that Beijing is prepared to attack Taiwan if it feels the country's moves toward formal independence go too far.
PHOTO: AFP
Goss made his comments during an appearance before the Senate intelligence committee, in an annual report by the US intelligence agencies to Congress on the national security threats facing the US.
It was Goss' first appearance at the annual intelligence assessment session since becoming head of the CIA last September.
Before that, he sat on the other side of the congressional hearing table as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee from 1997, until he was chosen by US President George W. Bush to head the spy agency.
"Beijing's military modernization and military build-up could tilt the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait," Goss told the lawmakers. "Improved Chinese capabilities threaten US forces in the region."
Goss noted that last year China increased its ballistic missile forces across from Taiwan and rolled out several new submarines.
"China continues to develop more robust, survivable nuclear-armed missiles, as well as conventional capabilities for use in regional conflict," he warned.
On Taiwan's recent political developments, Goss pointed to the nation's planned constitutional reforms and "other attempts to strengthen local identity."
"Beijing judges these moves to be a `timeline for independence.' If Beijing decides that Taiwan is taking steps toward permanent separation that exceeds Beijing's tolerance, we assess China is prepared to respond with varying levels of force," Goss told the senators.
On a broader level, China is increasingly confident and active on the international stage to secure a stronger voice in major international issues, countering what it sees as US efforts to counter and encircle it, and securing access to natural resources, Goss said.
He also pointed to a number of domestic challenges that President Hu Jintao (
In response to Goss' report, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said that the threat that China's military build-up posed for the region was inevitable.
"We haven't seen the entire text of the CIA's report, but from our ongoing exchange of opinions with the US, it's clear that China poses a threat to the entire region, including Japan, South Korea and, of course, Taiwan," MAC Vice Chairman Chiu Tai-san (
While Chiu refrained from commenting on whether the recent string of events could be interpreted as the US' response in opposition to China's proposed anti-secession bill, he remarked that the bill clearly ran counter to the US' stance on the matter.
"Neither China's military buildup nor its anti-secession law meets the US' requirements," Chiu said, explaining that the US wanted to see peaceful settlement between Taiwan and China, and as such opposed any moves to unilaterally change the status quo.
"Under these circumstances, the US will naturally be concerned about the law and opposed to it as well," Chiu said.
A senior government official said, however, that the US could not oppose Beijing's legislation now, as the bill's exact text had yet to be disclosed.
"Diplomatically, the US cannot oppose a bill they have not seen yet," the official said.
The MAC has been pushing for the international community to intervene on Taiwan's behalf. International pressure will have an effect on the content and passage of the bill, Chiu said.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
CHINA POLICY: At the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China, the two sides issued strong support for Taiwan and condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region. The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday. Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from