Dear Mr. Trent Lott,
        Mr. Denny Hastert,

Manila --- The Philippines, stung by tensions with mainland China over the Spratly Islands, is speeding up efforts to modernize its military and also to ratify a controversial defense agreement with the United States.

"We have a navy that cannot go out to sea and an air force that cannot fly" Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said on Tuesday (Feb. 2, 1999). "We are not modernizing to keep up with anyone. We just need basic requirements; it has become only more urgent now because of the situation in the Spratlys" he said.

The reports; North Korea on Wednesday (Feb. 3, 1999) offered to hold wide-ranging talks with South Korean, but attached conditions including ending military cooperation with the United States --- that made such a dialogue unlikely. The United States maintains 36,000 troops in the South. It regularly holds joint military exercises with South Korean forces, events that usually provoke howls of anger and protest from Pyongyang.

The other reports; China made a veiled threat Tuesday (Feb. 2, 1999) to complicate the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Macedonia by punishing the establishing diplomatic ties with Taiwan, diplomats said. A Chinese official told the security council that China "cannot be responsible" for the consequences if Macedonia doesn't change its mind, diplomats said. The diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said council members took the comment as a vague threat to the future of the U.N. Preventative Deployment Force.

Beijing authorities made an effort to deal other countries that related good friendship with Taiwan by using the power of the security council in United Nations that threatening to U.N. rights obviously. Nevertheless, China's ambassador in Macedonia, Xu Juche, on Friday threatened to "reconsider" cooperation with the country --- including China's support for the U.N. mission.

Taiwan has diplomatic relations with just 28 countries, most of them poor, small nations in Latin American and Africa that it supports with aid, loans and investment. Taiwan had viewed the establishment of relations with Macedonia as a significant victory in its campaign to break out of the diplomatic isolation imposed on it by China after the two nations split politically in 1949. In Europe, the nation is the only other state to recognize Taiwan. We have seen the results that damage

United States also; ...

Washington, Feb. 2 ---
President Bill Clinton has ordered a formal assessment of possible damage to U.S. national security after a congressional panel concluded that America's interests were harmed by mainland China's military espionage, an administration official said. "We take it very seriously", national security council spokesman David Leavy said Monday (Feb. 1, 1999). "Many of them already are being implemented" he said.

The reaction of Beijing has dismissed the allegations as "groundless and irresponsible". For the last; the situation Taiwan needs your concern.