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US commitment to Taiwan remains firm

The first time Peter Brookes, the George W. Bush administration's Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs saw Taiwan may have been from the cockpit of his Navy EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft while flyin missions up an down the Chinese coast. Brookes, 42, a highly-decorated navy commander who has served in numerous military and civilian positions in the US government and with defense contractors, took up his State Department post last July. Before that, Brookes was the Asia expert at the House International Relations Committee, where he was one of the most fervent Taiwan supporters among Congressional staffers in both the House and Senate. He helped author a version of the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act that was approved by the House in February 2000 by an overwhelming 341-70 vote. The bill would have strengthened mililtary ties between Washington and Taipei and assured a strong US defense commitment to Taiwan when Republicans were concerned over Clinton administration policies in the region. It never passed the Senate, however. In his present post, he is responsible for US security and defense policy in the Asia-Pacific region. This week, he sat down with 'Taipei Times' Washington staff reporter Charles Snyder for an exclusive interview, his first with the Taiwan press, to discuss US military policy toward Taiwan under the Bush administration.

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Brookes: Our security policy in the Asia-Pacific region is based above all else on our treaty and defense obligations. We have active treaties with Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia. These are the cornerstones of our presence in Asia-Pacific, and are complemented by numerous friendships and partnerships we have with other nations in the region. We also have an active security commitment to Taiwan under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.

The TRA states clearly that any attempt to change Taiwan's status by other than peaceful means would be of grave concern to the US and a threat to peace and stability in the Western Pacific. The war on terrorism changed neither our position nor our commitment. The Taiwan Relations Act remains the firm foundation of US policy toward Taiwan.

Its premise is that as long as fundamental differences remain between Taiwan and Beijing, Taiwan will require an adequate self defense capability to maintain peace and security in the Western Pacific.

The TRA states clearly that any attempt to change Taiwan's status by other than peaceful means would be of grave concern to the US, and a threat to the peace and stability of the Western Pacific.

As President Bush has said, the United States is committed to do whatever it takes to help Taiwan defend itself. Our position is clear: We don't support unilateral change in the status quo and we expect Taiwan's future to be determined peacefully and mutually agreeably.

TT: There seem to have been a substantial upgrading of the military-to-military contacts and relations between Taipei and Washington since the beginning of the Bush administration, culminating in the recent so-called "military summit" in Florida in which Taiwan's defense minister Tang Yiao-ming (湯曜明) met with Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz and other officials. Beijing has strongly condemned this. Is America's policy, indeed, to improve military relations, perhaps leading to greater communications and interoperability between the two?

Brookes: Taiwan faces numerous challenges as does any military as it modernizes and reforms its defense establishment. The United States holds defense conversations with many nations. Taiwan is one of them.

The exchanges that we have with Taiwan, which are consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, enhance our mutual ability to assess Taiwan's self defense capabilities and provides Taiwan with the arms and services it needs for self defense.

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