A national security conference will be called today to discuss the changes in the political landscape and to redefine national interests in the case of a war against Iraq.
President Chen Shui-bian (
A top security official said yesterday that the looming war against Iraq is an issue that has grabbed the world's attention. Therefore, he said, as a part of the global community, Taiwan should keep abreast of events with the most up-to-date information and seek to safeguard the nation's interests even as the international situation fluctuates.
In addition to the impact that events have on the UN, the buildup to war is also changing relationships within NATO and straining relations between the US and European countries, the official said. He stressed that Taiwan should keep a close watch on the situation, especially at a time when the US is lobbying for China's support for war.
So far, China is still sitting on the fence about a war on Iraq and is seeking to profit from the current situation, the official said.
On the one hand, China sides with France and Germany, calling on the US to respect existing UN resolutions. On the other hand, Beijing has remained ambiguous about how it would vote on a Security Council resolution calling for a war on Iraq, the official said.
As the US is poised to act unilaterally, regardless of worldwide anti-war protests, the official observed that the US needs China's support even more than before. Therefore, he said, Taiwan needs to keep an eye on Beijing and Washington to see whether Taiwan's interests are going to be sacrificed by the US in order to gain Chinese support for the war.
In addition, the official said that Taiwan needs to be aware of the impact of the changes in the Northeast Asian security framework at a time when North Korea is threatening the region's stability.
In January, the president called a security meeting to appraise the US-Iraq situation. Since then, the National Security Council has provided some 70 contingency plans for security departments to implement should the need arise.
Security officials said if a war starts, the government will immediately declare Taiwan's anti-terrorism position, provide humanitarian aide in Iraq and warn China not to use the occasion to stir up cross-strait tensions.
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