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US official ties poll with identity issue

A top US intelligence official indicated on Tuesday that the US intelligence community views plans to hold a referendum on UN entry to coincide with Taiwan's presidential election as a reflection of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) effort to "affirm Taiwan's sovereignty."

Michael McConnell, the US Director of National Intelligence, made the remarks before the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence during his report on the intelligence community's annual national threat assessment to Congress.

McConnell also said that China's military modernization threatens to "increasingly" put US forces and bases at risk in the western Pacific region.

While he did not discuss Chinese threats to Taiwan or offer an assessment of the risks to cross-strait peace, McConnell mentioned Taiwan in the section of his report on the Chinese threat and potential threat to the US.

"The Taiwan presidential election scheduled for 22 March coincides with an internal referendum on membership in the UN," McConnell said in his prepared remarks before the committee.

"Outgoing President Chen Shui-bian is seeking to affirm Taiwan's sovereignty and separate identity from the mainland," he said.

"Beijing is attempting to use political and economic levers to deter what it sees as Taiwan's moves toward independence, but Chinese leaders say they are prepared for military contingencies, and have occasionally cited Bei-jing's 2005 Anti-Secession Law, which authorizes the use of force if Beijing's leaders deem it necessary," McConnell said.

While most of his report dealt with Chinese efforts to expand its political and economic muscle, he also talked of moves by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to boost its might.

"China continues to develop and field conventional theater range ballistic and cruise missile capabilities that will put US forces and regional bases throughout the Western Pacific and Asia at greater risk," McConnell said.

"China also is developing more capable long-range conventional strike systems and short and medium-range ballistic missiles with terminally guided maneuverable warheads that could be used to attack US naval forces and air bases," he said.

"In addition, counter-command, control and sensor systems to include communications satellite jammers and ASAT [anti-satellite] weapons, are among Beijing's highest military priorities," he said.

Furthermore, "China's nuclear capabilities in terms of range, lethality and survivability will increase rapidly over the next 10 years," McConnell said.
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