Double Dealing over the Taiwan Question?

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Home>>Foreign Affairs

What is the US' aim behind arms sales to Taiwan?

By Wang Xinjun (People's Daily Overseas Edition)

08:25, May 24, 2012

Edited and Translated by People's Daily Online

At a time when the China-U.S. defense ministers just reached a four-point consensus and people are full of hope to the new stage of the military relations between the two countries, the U.S. Department of Defense submitted its annual report on China's military and security developments on May 18, 2012, again clamoring the "China military threat."

On the same day, the U.S. House of Representatives voted through an act, approving selling at least 66 F-16C/D fighters to help it to resist the so-called "military threat from Chinese mainland." This shows that in order to make an excuse for arms sales to Taiwan and other military measures, the report turned a blind eye to the development and progress of cross-Strait relations in recent years but emphasized the so-called "cross-Strait military imbalance."

People still clearly remembered the first two points of the four-point consensus signed by China-U.S. defense ministers. First, both the Chinese and U.S. militaries are committed to develop a healthy, stable and reliable military relationship under the framework of mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win partnership. Second, continue to strengthen the strategic communication between the two defense departments and the two armies, enhance the strategic mutual trust through dialogue and consultation and properly handle differences and sensitive issues.

However, how does the United States "respect" its partner and "properly handle" differences and sensitive issues?

The U.S. strategists know exactly that the cross-Strait relationship is the core interests of China and the most sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations. Therefore, it has the most advantageous value to the United States on its strategy against China. The United States thinks that it can always grasp the initiative in the China-U.S. relations as long as it knows this point clearly. When handling the cross-Strait relations, the United States always keeps double-dealing and benefits from it, but the purpose and content are different at different times. In the past, Taiwan was "an unsinkable aircraft carrier" in the U.S. strategy against China and now it became a strategic pawn for the United States to set a new order in East Asia region.

What is the US’ aim behind arms sales to Taiwan? (2)

By Wang Xinjun (People's Daily Overseas Edition)

08:26, May 24, 2012

Obviously, the United States' arms sales to Taiwan are closely linked with its adjustment of military strategy and the actual political and economic conditions in the country.

Firstly, the eastward shift of the strategic focus urged the United States to redefine the military strategic value of Taiwan. At the beginning of 2012, the United States declared the eastward shift of its strategic focus with a great fanfare and redefined the strategic status and role of Taiwan. The United States will make use of Taiwan to carry out "joint interdiction action", thereby reducing the burden of the U.S. military operations, lowering the risk of intensification of the crisis and giving full play to the key role of Taiwan in the United States' strategic rebalance in Asia-Pacific region.

Secondly, prevent too close cross-Strait relations and avoid the failure of the United States on controlling the cross-Strait relations. Some U.S. strategists said that it is good for maintaining the status quo of the cross-Strait relations to regularly stir the sensitive nerve of the cross-Strait people whether the arms sales to Taiwan are successful or not.

Thirdly, maintain a hard line to China to serve the presidential election. As the U.S. presidential election draws near, it seems a tough image of president would win more votes. Especially when some domestic political or economic problems appeared, a tough image can always transfer the public attention.

In addition, arms sales to Taiwan also have economic benefits. It is estimated that sales of F-16 fighters can bring 17 billion U.S. dollars of economic benefits for the United States and secure 87,000 job opportunities. If the transaction is successful, it can also award marks for presidential campaign.

Both the United States and China know clearly the above intentions.

However, an old saying in China said that "a promise is weightier than one thousand bars of gold." Any party who violates the promise of committing to building healthy, stable, reliable and sustained military relations certainly will undermine the bilateral strategic mutual trust.

On the occasion of China-U.S. military relations becoming relaxed, the United States still suspects and throws mud at China, deliberately provokes the cross-Strait relations and seeks excuses for its arms sales to Taiwan. China will firmly oppose to these behaviors of the United States.

US - China military cooperation?

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Home>>China Military

China-US military ties advance

By Zhao Xiaozhuo (China Daily)

16:49, May 18, 2012

Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie paid a six-day visit to the United States last week. It was the first visit by a Chinese defense minister in nine years and also the first high-level military exchange since bilateral military ties were disrupted by the US' planned arms sale to Taiwan last year.

Four consensuses have been reached between Liang and his US counterpart Leon Panetta on further developing military ties and strengthening pragmatic communication and cooperation, demonstrating the general direction of the bilateral military ties is now toward stability, mutual trust and cooperation. The joint statement indicates that the US may refrain itself from harming China's core interests, and China will also try to avoid breaking military ties as revenge.

China-US military ties have not only been disrupted by the US' arms sales to Taiwan over the past 20-odd years, but also by the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999, and the collision between a US reconnaissance plane and a Chinese fighter near China's coast that killed the Chinese pilot in 2001.

But the fundamental underlying reason for the ups and downs in Sino-US military relations is the lack of strategic mutual trust, which arises from their historical grudge against each other and long-standing differences in social institutions. Insufficient strategic mutual trust has impeded the progress of the military relationship, which, in turn, prevents both countries from building and furthering their mutual trust. The bilateral military relationship thus keeps going through a repeat cycle of souring, stagnation, resumption and development.

The two defense chiefs have agreed that the two sides should try and break this cycle. However, whether they can succeed largely depends on whether the US eliminates the three major barriers in the way of their military relationship, namely US arms sales to Taiwan, the close-in surveillance activities in airspace and waters around China and the discriminatory restrictions set by the 2000 National Defense Authorization Act and the Delay Amendment on China-US military exchanges.

Home>>China Military

China-US military ties advance (2)

By Zhao Xiaozhuo (China Daily)

16:50, May 18, 2012

Non-traditional security threats have become of increasing concern in recent years, posing a real and urgent need for China and the US to cooperate on the security front. According to the third and fourth consensuses reached between Liang and Panetta, both countries agree to enhance exchanges and cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and other fields and to conduct joint humanitarian relief and mitigation, and anti-piracy exercises this year. The expanding and deepening military cooperation will facilitate their strategic mutual trust, forging conditions necessary for solving bilateral differences and sensitive issues.

The Pentagon unveiled a new military guidance entitled "Sustaining US Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense" earlier this year, ushering in a new round of military contraction and a rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific region. As it is returning to the region, the US is more aware of China's military modernization and is concerned that it will challenge its military dominance in the region. Meanwhile, China's belief that the US is pursuing a containment policy has been reinforced by the US enhancing its military ties with its Asian allies and the Air-Sea Battle operational concept signed into effect last year.

Nonetheless, China and the US are not necessarily at daggers drawn, especially as a more optimistic view on their relations has become the conventional wisdom in Beijing and Washington. Following on from Chinese President Hu Jintao's call for the two countries to build a new type of relationship between big powers, Liang said during his visit that China and the US should make efforts to establish a new type of military relationship that stresses mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

For his part, Panetta said the US supports the idea of building ties between the two militaries that are future oriented and the two sides should step up their cooperation to confront common security threats and challenges together.

Liang's visit to the US has clearly been very fruitful, and we have good reason to remain optimistic for the future of the China-US military relationship.