US House frowns on Beijing's targeting Taiwan

by Charles Snyder

STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON

The US House of Representatives unanimously approved a sweeping measure that calls on China to dismantle its missiles aimed at Taiwan, urges US President George W. Bush to approve the sale of the AEGIS battle management system to Taipei and directs Bush to seek from China an immediate renunciation of the use of force against Taiwan.

The bill was unanimously approved Tuesday evening without debate as an amendment to a bill that funds State Department programs for fiscal 2004, which begins Oct. 1.

"Grave concerns exist concerning the deployment by the People's Republic of China of hundreds of ballistic missiles directed toward Taiwan, which threaten the security and stability in the Taiwan Strait," the House bill says.

"The president should direct all appropriate United States officials to raise these concerns with the appropriate officials from the People's Republic of China, and should seek a public, immediate, and unequivocal renunciation from the leaders of the People's Republic of China of any threat or use of force against Taiwan," says the measure, which was introduced by Democrat Robert Andrews and six other representatives.

The bill also asserts that Taiwan's future should be determined peacefully and "with the express consent of the people of Taiwan."

The buildup of China's missiles arrayed across the Taiwan Strait, now estimated by US officials at some 450, is the main focus of the measure.

"China should dismantle the missiles that threaten Taiwan, otherwise the president should authorize the sale of the AEGIS system to Taiwan, which would enable Taiwan to defend itself against the threat of a missile attack by China," the measure says.

Bush withheld the sale of Arleigh-Burke destroyers armed with the sophisticated AEGIS radar-based system from Taiwan when he approved a massive weapons sale to Taipei in April 2001.

The Pentagon recently approved the parameters of the transfer of the technology needed to deploy and operate AEGIS, along with a plan to sell the four destroyers, which would act as the platform for the system, but that decision has not been endorsed by the White House, sources say.

The White House officials have been put off by Taiwan's tight military budget and its failure to appropriate funds to buy the substantial number of weapon systems included in 2001's weapons package.

The four destroyers would cost US$6 billion, in addition to the billions needed to buy the diesel submarines, Kidd-class destroyers, and other systems included in the package.

According to sources, if the White House gave the go-ahead to the AEGIS sale, and Taiwan could finance the purchases, the first destroyer could be commissioned as early as 2008.

That would coincide with the period in which US military analysts have told Taiwanese officials that China might have sufficient capability to launch a military attack on Taiwan, perhaps after China hosts the Summer Olympic Games that year.

Lockheed Martin would design the AEGIS radar system and technology, and Raytheon would build the needed missiles. While the ships would most likely be built in the US, some sources speculate that Taiwan-built warships could be fitted with the systems.

In addition, the House also approved a measure requiring the secretary of state to send Congress a report by April 1 each year on how the administration plans to obtain observer status for Taiwan in the annual meetings of the World Health Assembly in Geneva.

The report will cover both a recounting of the department's efforts leading up to the report date plus its plans for the forthcoming WHA meeting, which is usually held in mid-May.

DPP wants referendum on assembly

REFORM DRIVE: As well as voting on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and the nation's WHO bid, the future of the National Assembly should also be put before the public, DPP legislators believe

By Fiona Lu

STAFF REPORTER

A referendum on abolishing the National Assembly should be included on a list of referendums the government is considering holding on the same day as next year's presidential election, DPP lawmakers said yesterday.

DPP legislative leader Chen Chi-mai said the question could be included in a vote on legislative reform, in particular halving the number of seats in the Legislative Yuan.

The government is also considering holding referendums on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and the country's bid to join the World Health Organization.

Chen said that once the public has endorsed the reform, the Legislative Yuan would have to present a petition to amend the Constitution within six months.

Limited role

The National Assembly, which used to elect the president but now convenes only to consider changes to the Constitution, would then have to meet to finalize the amendments.

The DPP and its pan-green partner the TSU both support halving the number of legislature seats.

DPP Legislator Julian Kuo, who presented the plans along with Chen, said, "The issue of legislative reform should be more than downsizing the legislature."

"A study on abolishing the National Assembly and mapping out a clearer plan for the country's constitutional reform by transferring the confirmation right over constitutional revisions to the people through referendums should be encouraged," Kuo said.

He said the referendum was proposed to help get reform bills through the legislature.

A large number of reform bills, including bills related to legislative reform, have been held up in the Legislative Yuan for almost a year, Kuo said.

"Pressure from the people is the only way to drive lawmakers to cope with issues such as halving the number of legislature seats, since it is understandable that lawmakers will try to avoid harming their interests by delaying discussion of these bills," Kuo said.

Ally's support

The TSU said it supported the move to hold the extra referendum.

"Halving the number of legislature seats and abolishing the National Assembly are two ultimate goals sought by the TSU. We are glad to see the endorsement from the DPP and hope that they will really work for it," said TSU legislative whip Chien Lin Whei-jun.

But the KMT said that the DPP was trying to do things in the wrong order.

"The ruling party's proposal is unhelpful since the Constitution already states that the modification should be made by the National Assembly after a legislative petition is filed" to convene the body, said KMT Legislator Chen Chieh.

Chen said that passing referendum legislation was still his party's priority in the next legislative session so that a referendum can be held before March 20.

Beijing's `muddleheaded' visa rule angers MOFA

By Monique Chu

STAFF REPORTER

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday blasted China for requiring foreign passport holders born in Taiwan or Hong Kong to put "China" as their birthplace when applying for Chinese visas.

A ministry press release last night called for Beijing to stop such action, which it said may affect overseas Taiwanese traveling on foreign passports.

Dubbing China's visa rule "muddleheaded and careless," the ministry criticized the move as a way to downgrade Taiwan's status to that of a province of China.

Since the government has decided to put the word "Taiwan" in Romanized script on passport covers starting Sept. 1, some ministry officials interpreted Beijing's new visa rule as a retaliatory gesture.

The ministry said if Beijing refuses to issue visas to foreign passport holders because of their place of birth, it would be a discriminatory act against those nations that issued the passports.

"It will then become a wanton offense to the sovereignty of the nations that have issued the passports," the ministry said.

The ministry's comments came one day after China's Foreign Ministry reportedly said it has informed other countries of its visa rule for immigrants from Taiwan and Hong Kong who holding a passport from another country.

According to a report by the Central News Agency (CNA) on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has begun requiring foreign passport holders originally from Taiwan or Hong Kong to list China as their place of birth.

The report said China considers people who cite their birthplace as "Taipei, Taiwan," or "Hong Kong" are implying that Taiwan and Hong Kong are sovereign states, which would violate its "one China" principle.

Asked whether his country had notified its nationals of Beijing's new rule, Weldon Epp, a spokesman for the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, said: "Canada, like any other country, has the responsibility to advise Canadian citizens of conditions which may affect them while traveling abroad."

Canadian immigration official Suzanne Meunier in Ottawa confirmed that China notified Canada that immigrants from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau should list their birthplace as China on visa application.

She said Canadian passport processors are telling such immigrants to pay attention to Beijing's new visa rule to avoid being rejected when they apply for Chinese visas.