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China slams US remarks on military
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-19 09:10
China has accused the United States of sending a false signal to Taiwan by
disclosing a CIA assessment indicating the military balance across the Taiwan
Straits is shifting in Beijing's favor.
The comments by China's Foreign Ministry followed statements by CIA Director
Porter Goss earlier this week that Beijing's military modernization was
"tilting the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait."
"Improved Chinese capabilities threaten U.S. forces in the region," Goss
said.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan described Goss's comments, made in the
CIA's annual assessment of worldwide threats presented Wednesday, as an
"irresponsible act."
"The U.S. warning has severely violated the conventions of international
relations," Kong said. "The United States has severely interfered with Chinese
internal affairs and sent a false signal to the advocates of Taiwan
independence."
U.S. relations with Beijing have been relatively good in recent months. The
two sides have boosted military exchanges and have been cooperating in efforts
to persuade North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program.
On Friday, Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported that Japan's foreign minister
and defense chief reportedly flew to Washington to discuss a major revision to
the U.S.-Japan security alliance that would, for the first time, identify
tensions between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan as a flashpoint in Asia.
Japan traditionally has sought to avoid involvement in the tensions. Tokyo's
shift would be a strong demonstration of solidarity with the U.S. position and
would signal a more assertive Japanese stance in the region.
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