Beijing and Taipei must talk, US says

"We have concerns about ... the Chinese military buildup."

Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state

China talk to the democratically elected government of Taiwan, the US' top diplomat told Chinese leaders yesterday, also warning that Washington took a dim view of Beijing's military policies.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US was encouraged by the recent contact between China and Taiwanese opposition parties, but was also worried about China's military build-up.

"We do think cross-straits [sic] contacts are a good thing. And to the degree that the Chinese government has been engaging in those cross-straits contacts, we think it's good," Rice told reporters after meeting with President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶), Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (李肇星) and other Chinese leaders in Beijing.

"We hope that that would extend to contacts with the elected government of Taiwan, because that would be also very good," Rice said.

Leaders the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), People First Party and New Party have visited China in recent months in what they describe as an effort to improve ties.

However, critics have said the meetings were thinly-veiled attempts by Beijing to foster political discord in Taiwan as part of a "divide and conquer" strategy.

Beijing seeking to isolate and put pressure on President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the Democratic Progressive Party, critics of the meetings said.

Rice highlighted Washington's uncertainty regarding China's intentions in the Taiwan Strait, saying the US government -- not just the Pentagon -- had concerns about China's military buildup.

She emphasized, however, that that the US did not necessarily view China as a threat.

"There is no doubt that we have concerns about the size and pace of the Chinese military buildup and it's not just the Pentagon," Rice told a news conference after the meeting.

"That does not mean that we view China as, quote-unquote, a threat," she said, adding that the Chinese military buildup raised concerns about the balance of power in the region.

Rice's come as the Pentagon works with several other US government agencies on a report about China's growing military clout. The US Department of Defense has no target date in mind for the release of the 2005 annual report, officially required to be delivered to Congress by March 1.

There was speculation it was being delayed until after Rice's trip to China because, in the past, Beijing has objected strongly to its portrayal in such reports as a growing threat to the military balance in Asia.

US sources told the Taipei Times that this year's report "will definitely not be welcomed by Beijing." The 2005 report would take a harder line on China than in previous years, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said it welcomed Rice's call for China to talk directly with the government.

"Rice's appeal is in compliance with our basic stance. We have consistently asked the Beijing government not to only contact our opposition parties but to also engage in dialogue with our popularly elected government," MAC Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮)said.

Noting Taiwan and China have a very robust economic relationship, Rice said the US encourages "as much contact as possible" between Taiwan and China.

Wu he welcomes Rice's comments, adding that Beijing should understand that it will only see progress in cross-strait relations through dialogue with the government.

Rice was due to leave China late yesterday for Thailand.