US urges military
reform
NATIONAL
DEFENSE: Sources in the US say the Bush administration is
still keen to boost Taiwan's military but is concerned that
it is not being reformed fast enough
BY
Nadia Tsao
STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON
US government officials are urging Taiwan to reform
its national defense, sources in the US said.
Peter Brookes, deputy assistant secretary
of defense for Asian and Pacific affairs, and Stephen Yates,
assistant to US Vice President Dick Cheney, stressed the need
for reform in a recent meeting with former DPP lawmaker Michael
Tsai (蔡明憲) in the US.
They asked Tsai to pass the message on to President Chen Shui-bian
(陳水扁).
The administration of US President George W. Bush is concerned
about the imminent reshuffle in Taiwan's military and whether
the Ministry of National Defense will be led by a civilian,
as two recently passed defense-reform laws stipulate, the sources
said.
Bush-administration officials have expressed a willingness
to boost Taiwan's military capabilities and enhance bilateral
military exchanges. But the US also expects Taiwan to reform
its military structure as soon as possible.
According to sources, Tsai, who lost his bid to become Taichung
City mayor on Dec. 1, visited Washington on Dec. 18. The US
believes Tsai, who has long paid close attention to national
defense, might be appointed to the Cabinet to help Chen deal
with military issues.
As well as visiting Brookes and Yates, who are both familiar
with Taiwan's affairs, Tsai called on Michael Pillsbury, a defense
expert with the Net Assessment Office, and Kurt Campbell, senior
vice president at the Center for Strategic and International
Studies.
High-ranking US officials and defense experts regard the success
or failure of Taiwan's defense reforms as key to US-Taiwan military
exchanges, sources said.
The experts are apparently also concerned about factional conflicts
in Taiwan's military.
Sources said Tsai kept a low profile on his trip and afterward
visited former premier and defense minister Tang Fei (唐飛) for
advice on defense reforms.
Peter Rodman, the assistant secretary
of defense for international security affairs, also stressed
the need for effective reform of the military in a recent meeting
with Chen Chien-jen (程建人), Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Washington,
according to the sources.
The US officials said the Bush administration wants to help
Tai-wan boost its self-defense capabilities, but that cannot
be done without satisfactory military exchanges between the
two countries.
Translated by Jackie Lin
