A senior US official has pledged it will present to Congress in a timely fashion a report mandated by Congress last week on the advisability of closer US-Taiwan military relationships, including combined operational training and the exchange of senior officers.
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific affairs James Kelly told reporters in Washington that the administration shares the opinions in Congress that led to the passage of the mandated report.
As part of a bill that would authorize US defense programs for fiscal 2003, which began Oct. 1, Congress required the administration to report by next spring on the "feasibility and advisability" of joint military training and the exchange of officers, and a report on "progress being made in meeting United States commitments to the security of Taiwan."
A stronger provision, which would have required the US to devise a "comprehensive plan" for joint training exercise, exchanges and other closer ties, was rejected after the administration and most senators objected to the plan, which was advocated by the House Of Representatives. The requirement for a simple report was a compromise between the House and Senate.
Kelly said that the legislation is "an expression of a view that's been very well and very long held by the Congress, and is articulated in particular in the Taiwan Relations Act, that expresses very strong concern that military pressure and military threats should not be brought on to Taiwan."
"And that's certainly something that is very much shared by the US," Kelly said.
The required reports, he said would be given to Congress "at an appropriate time."
Kelly was also asked to confirm reports that Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned President Chen Shui-bian (
Kelly refused to confirm the reports. But he did say that Powell and the State Department are concerned that high-level friendly visitors receive a "respectful" reception when visiting the US.
"It is my understanding that (Wu) received a very excellent visit here," Kelly said. "We very much hope that representatives and those important people from friendly places receive a warm welcome."
"But there have been a number of cases, quite understandably, I think, given the very strong security procedures," he said, in which, "tight security procedures have been used against distinguished visitors. We're very concerned that our visitors here have a uniformly respectful receptions at all times. and Secretary Powell certainly shares that view with me."
On the recent Chinese Communist Party's 16th National Con-gress, Kelly said he did not feel that the change in Chinese leadership would lead to a change in Beijing's cross-strait policy.
"I didn't detect anything in the remarks that were made last week, privately or publicly, that would suggest any difference in the views of the PRC toward Taiwan," he said.
He also confirmed that during President George W. Bush's summit meeting with Chinese President Jiang Zemin (江澤民) in Sept-ember, Bush was invited to visit China, but that no date was set.
Kelly said that Bush expressed "general appreciation for that invitation," but "it probably would be a mistake to pencil in a particular visit" next year.
Nevertheless, Bush has "some hope and expectation" of visiting China again, Kelly said.
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