Posted on 03/18/2002 2:02:04 PM PST by tallhappy
Agence France Presse
SECTION: International News
LENGTH: 418 words
HEADLINE: Beijing to cancel naval exchanges with US over Taiwan visit: report
DATELINE: BEIJING, March 18
BODY:
China was Monday preparing to cancel naval exchanges with the United States in retaliation for Washington allowing Taiwan's defense minister to meet US officials in Florida, state press reported.
"The determination of the United States to allow the visit of Tang Yaoming has given rise to strong dissatisfaction amongst China's highest leadership," the Global Times quoted an unnamed "reliable source" as saying.
"The Chinese side will make a strong reaction felt in the area of military exchanges between the two countries (and) is preparing to cancel plans by the Chinese navy to visit the US late this year," it said. US naval ship visits to China would also be affected, said the paper, which is run by the official Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily.
It did not say whether this could threaten US naval visits to Hong Kong, a long-standing -- and economically much appreciated -- part of life in the former British colony.
Tang met with US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly last week on the sidelines of the defense conference in Florida.
The talks were seen as the highest-level direct military contact between Taiwan and the US since Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.
China has been enraged by the meeting, twice calling in US Ambassador to China Clark Randt for dressings down.
The disagreement threatens to undermine generally sunny ties since China elected to back the US-led war on terrorism. Analysts have long warned relations were likely to be tested at some point by perennial disagreements such as Taiwan.
Beijing sees Taiwan as an inalienable part of China, although the Kuomintang government fled there from the mainland in defeat in 1949 after a civil war. It has threatened to retake the island by force if Taiwan refuses to accept Beijing's reunification efforts.
Washington is mandated by domestic US legislation to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
During Randt's latest meeting with Chinese diplomats on Saturday, Vice Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing also expressed "strong indignation and firm opposition" to a recent US nuclear arms review, which listed China as a potential target, the Xinhua news agency said.
Mutual naval visits between the two sides began in 1997, but have been frequently interrupted by political turmoil in the relationship, including the May 1999 bombing by US-led NATO planes of China's embassy in Yugoslavia.
My sentiments exactly. Sounds like win-win to me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.