MND chief ‘not threatened’ by U.S. warning

Lee was referring to remarks made by Edward Ross, principal director of the Security Cooperation Operations under the Defense Security Cooperation Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense.

During the U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2005 held in San Diego, California Sept. 19-20, Ross criticized Taipei for the limited growth in its defense budget.

He said that if Taiwan was not willing to defend itself, the United States could not assist in defending Taiwan.

Lee said his ministry was drafting a letter to the U.S. side in response to the “stern warning.” But he did not say what would be the ministry’s response.

“If friends point out our faults, we must engage in self-reflection, and if they are wrong, then we’ll react,” he said.

Ross took part in the San Diego conference on behalf of Richard Lawless, U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense, who did not make it because he was preoccupied with six-party talks on North Korea.

Ross’ criticism was an reaction to a long-stalled Taiwan plan to spend billions of dollars on an arms package that include eight diesel-electric submarines, 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft and six Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng said yesterday that he would not speculate on when the special budget for arms procurement package could be put on the legislative agenda for review.

The opposition lawmakers have blocked the bill’s passage for over a year, saying the price for the weapon systems is too high and that the procurement should be funded through the regular defense budget rather than a special budget.

Wang said he believes that every party will take into consideration the nation’s overall security as well as the cross-strait military balance in dealing with the procurement issue.

Meanwhile, a former senior U.S. official has suggested that high-ranking Taiwan officials reinforce their communication and coordination with members of the new U.S. government team in charge of cross-strait affairs, according to sources.

Richard Armitage, former U.S. deputy secretary of state, made the suggestion while meeting with President Chen Shui-bian during Chen’s transit stop in Miami Wednesday en route to Central America for a state visit, the sources said.

The sources revealed Thursday that during the meeting, the U.S. official admitted that Washington-Taipei relations were not very smooth in the past, but he said Taiwan should not be the only one to take the blame.

“The United States should also shoulder some of the responsibility as it had only dealt with matters with the Kuomintang before and was not aware of the Democratic Progressive Party’s style and way of doing things,” he was cited as saying.

He said the U.S. government failed to see the difference between DPP government officials and their former KMT counterparts at the very beginning of Chen’s presidency.

As there are now new officials in the Bush administration in charge of cross-strait affairs, Armitage suggested that high-ranking Taipei officials establish frequent communications and a coordination mechanism with their U.S. counterparts.

He said Taipei should not be relying only on the American Institute in Taiwan as the only channel between the two sides.

He added that at his strong suggestion, the Bush administration agreed in 2001 to sell the package of arms to Taiwan.

“This is because the U.S. government worried that a new ruling DPP government might affect cross-strait stability at that time.”

“Approving the arms sales was also done in the hopes of maintaining a stable and peaceful cross-strait relationship, “ he continued.

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