FM: US-Japan statement on Taiwan wrong
(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-02-21 09:39

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman in Beijing yesterday expressed displeasure and grave concern about a joint US and Japanese statement that listed the China’s Taiwan as their common security issue.

Commenting on US and Japan’s asking China to “improve military transparency”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said that any irresponsible remarks on China's national defense buildup to maintain state security and territorial integrity were untenable.

Kong Quan [filephoto]

Kong Quan said the Chinese Government and its people were firmly against the United States and Japan issuing any joint statement over the Taiwan question, which interferes with China's sovereignty, territorial integrity and state security.

He said the US-Japan alliance was a bilateral arrangement formed in special historical conditions - in the Cold War era and should not exceed its bilateral jurisdiction.

Kong said that "peace, development and co-operation" are the growing trends in the world and the aspiration of its people.

He said he hoped the United States and Japan would fully consider the interests and concerns of other countries in the Asia-Pacific region and realize objectives conducive to the peace and stability of the whole region.

"We hope the United States and Japan will see to their commitments towards the Taiwan question with practical actions," Kong said.

The US-Japan alliance in Washington released a joint statement on Saturday after a top ministerial level meeting of the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee, also known as the "two plus two" meeting.

The two allies declared in the statement that to encourage the peaceful resolution of issues concerning the Taiwan Strait through dialogue was part of their “common strategic objectives”.

They also urged China to "improve transparency of its military affairs."

The meeting was participated in by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Japanese Defence Agency chief Yoshinori Ono and Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura.

This is reportedly the first time during their half-century-old alliance that the US and Japan have expressed shared anxiety over tensions in the Taiwan Straits, which has drawn widespread protest from many Chinese web-surfers.

A glance into the popular Chinese portal websites such as sina.com and sohu.com finds readers of all walks are fiercely criticizing the US-Japan joint statement, concerning China’s Taiwan Strait.

Kong Quan said China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and carries out a defensive national defense policy.

China has always been an active force in maintaining world peace and promoting common development, the spoksman said.

The United States and Japan maintain complex and conflicted relationships with the Chinese. Both have valuable economic relationships with China. Last year, China replaced the United States as Japan's largest trading partner. China is an important trading partner for the United States, too.

At the same time, however, the United States has had angry exchanges with China in the last few days. Last Wednesday, Porter J. Goss, the director of central intelligence, issued a stern warning about China's military prowess.

"Beijing's military modernization and military buildup could tilt the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee, adding: "Improved Chinese capabilities threaten United States forces in the region."

And last Thursday, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said the United States was concerned about the expansion of the Chinese navy.

In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry, in a statement on Friday, denounced those remarks, saying, "The United States has interfered with Chinese internal affairs and sent a false signal to the advocates of Taiwan independence.”