China's military build-up could make relations across the Taiwan Strait more volatile in the future -- especially as Sino-Russian relations improve, the director of the CIA, George Tenet, said on Wednesday.
In testimony to the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Tenet said that political divisions within Taiwan were also complicating the cross-strait situation. He called Taiwan "the toughest issue" facing Sino-US relations.
PHOTO: AP
"While Beijing has stopped its saber rattling -- reducing the immediate tensions -- the unprecedented developments on Taiwan have complicated cross-strait relations," Tenet said.
President Chen Shui-bian's (
"In the longer term, cross-strait relations can be even more volatile because of Beijing's military modernization program. China's military build-up is also aimed at deterring US intervention in support of Taiwan. Russian arms are a key component of this buildup," Tenet said.
The CIA director noted that Beijing and Moscow plan to sign a friendship treaty later this year, highlighting common interests and willingness to cooperate diplomatically against Washington.
Tenet said that China is "ambivalent" in its view of the US.
On the one hand, it sees the US as key to its economic success. But on the other hand, the US is the chief obstacle to China's evolution as a major international player.
Taiwan is also a major factor in Beijing's view of Washington, Tenet said.
Concerns about the US' intentions in regard to Taiwan were the main reason that China's language in its October white paper was so strident, he said. Tenet also noted that China, in the paper, warned it would use force against Taiwan if unification talks were put off indefinitely.
Meanwhile, in Taipei yesterday, Stanley Kao (
Kao urged the US to play the role as a "balancer" between Taipei and Beijing by offering Taiwan "security assurance through concrete arms sales and related personnel training."
The US could also play the role of a "facilitator" by helping Taipei and Beijing to create "an environment conducive to the resolution of talks" across the Taiwan Strait, Kao said.
"The US should give Taiwan reassurance to help ensure the morale of the Taiwanese people. Then Taiwan will be equipped with more and more confidence to begin dialogues with China," Kao said.
Most of Tenet's testimony dealt with China's missile and nuclear proliferation activities. Despite pledges to stop aiding Pakistan's nuclear program, China may still be providing assistance and the US is watching the situation "carefully." In addition, Beijing is continuing to help Iran develop nuclear plants in which the technology could be later applied to nuclear weapons development, he said.
In November, Beijing issued a statement pledging not to help countries develop ballistic missiles that can be used to deliver nuclear weapons, Tenet said.
"Based on what we know about China's past proliferation behavior, we are watching and analyzing for any sign that Chinese entities may be acting against that commitment. We are worried, for example, that Pakistan's continued development of the two-stage Shaheen-II [medium-range ballistic missile] will require additional Chinese assistance," he said.
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