A former US military leader yesterday confirmed that the US government is considering the risks of transferring military technology to Taiwan for fear that Taipei would move closer to unification with China in the near future.
"I have to admit that someone [in the US government] has brought up the issue. But it is not yet to the decision-making level," said retired rear admiral Eric A. McVadon in a speech he gave to the local press yesterday in Taipei.
McVadon, speaking in the capacity of a retired US military official, made the remarks in a post-speech question-and-answer session, responding to an inquiry from an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) over a report this paper published yesterday.
Quoting the Taipei Times report, the MOFA official asked for confirmation from McVadon whether the US is really considering the possibility of cutting off the sale of high-tech weapons to Taiwan for fears that such weapons systems might fall into China's hands because of Taiwan's growing "pro-China stance."
McVadon retired in 1992 and his last post was the defense attache for the US embassy in Beijing. McVadon said that he was not sure what was going on in the US government but later admitted that he does know some officials have brought up the issue over the possible transfer of US military technology from Taiwan to China.
Citing South Korea as another example, McVadon said the US government has the same concerns about the Korean peninsula.
He assured the MOFA official that although the US is taking into consideration the risks of future technology transfers toTaiwan, it is yet to become government policy.
McVadon, widely expected to be get an appointment in the Pentagon, is now part-time director of the US-based Asia-Pacific Studies for National Security Planning Associates Inc. He has come to Taiwan for a multi-day visit arranged by the American Institute in Taiwan.
Yesterday McVadon delivered two speeches in Taipei, first to the foreign correspondents and then to the local press. He spoke to the foreign press on the US arms sales to Taiwan.
To the local press, McVadon spoke on the local-interest issue of the Theater Missile Defense (TMD) in Northeast Asia. He structured his talk around the prospects and problems of such a missile shield.
In McVadon's view, prospects for the TMD to assure security to Taiwan are grim since the missile shield is too expensive to construct and cannot assure total defense against ballistic missiles from China.
"If Taiwan were to acquire the TMD system, it would not start from scratch. It now has the Patriot PAC-II air defense missile system. It may likely obtain the Patriot PAC-III system in the future," said McVadon.
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