Sat, Jun 07, 2003 page3

• We don't doubt commitment, AIT chairwoman says

  VOTE OF CONFIDENCE Therese Shaheen says that despite delays and stalling, the US believes that this country is still serious about defense

  • By Charles Snyder / STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON
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  Washington remains confident that Taiwan is "serious" about defending itself militarily despite its slow action in making decisions and funding the purchase of weapons systems US President George W. Bush agreed to sell Taipei in April 2001, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairwoman Therese Shaheen said.

  Speaking to the Washington-based Taiwanese press corps in the AIT headquarters in Northern Virginia this week, Shaheen said the US Defense Department "doesn't doubt" that President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) government is serious about defense.

  Her remarks, in a rare AIT press conference, were clearly aimed to assuage Taiwan's officials, who have been concerned about Washington's seeming impatience over the past year with the Ministry of National Defense and the Legislative Yuan's indecision over purchasing the arms promised by the US.

  Her comments came as Vice Minister of National Defense Lin Chung-pin (林中斌) continued an intensive series of meetings with top US officials during a 10-day trip to the capital city. Lin arrived last Saturday and is scheduled to leave next Tuesday.

  During the visit, Lin will meet with an array of defense and State Department officials, including Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Richard Myers; Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage; Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia James Kelly; his deputy, Richard Lawless, and Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton.

  Lin's meetings will also include sessions with officials at the National Security Council.

  The visit, according to Washington sources, is aimed in part at demonstrating to US policymakers Taiwan's willingness to defend itself. For several months, there have been sporadic concerns raised by American officials that Taipei is dragging its feet on arms funding and purchases because it was counting on the US to defend it against a Chinese attack.

  "I think people in Taiwan are serious, and I think [US officials] respect what Taiwan is going through in terms of the transformation to civilian leadership of the MND and multiparty democracy," Shaheen told reporters.

  She noted that Taiwan is "making progress" in view of the changes occuring in the military establishment.

  Shaheen pointed out that the 2001 arms package was actually ordered a year or more before that, meaning that the shopping list is now more than three years old. While the list remains the same now, she said, the priorities have changed. "The list is still there. Taiwan can act on anything on that list," she said.

  That list includes diesel submarines, Kidd-class destroyers, the PAC-3 anti-missile system and long-range radar systems.

  The Bush administration now thinks that "missile defense is very important, all efforts at anti-submarine warfare are important," and that so-called C4ISR systems, involving control, command and high-tech electronic communications systems, are important. So, Washington is saying, "We'd like you to consider these first," Shaheen said.

  The decision to purchase the submarines was at first hampered by the lack of suppliers since the US has not produced such vessels for several decades and the high cost of design, development and production.

  The US is now undergoing a lengthy assessment of where the designs can be found and how the subs can be produced.

  With the recent Legislative Yuan agreement on the budget for the Kidd-class destroyers, the way apparently has been cleared for procurement and outfitting of the vessels.

  The PAC-3 anti-missile missiles are being produced, but Taiwan has not yet made a firm commitment to buy them.
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