Cohen defends Taiwan’s military

When pressed further as to whether he changed his assessment that China is not now militarily capable of taking over Taiwan, Cohen said, "I’m satisfied that Taiwan is still a very capable — has a very capable military." He left Washington on a tour to the Middle East and Africa. The 40-page classified report outlines "a host of problems" afflicting Taiwan military’s ability to defend itself against airplanes, ballistic and cruise missiles, the Post said quoting an official familiar with the paper.

"There is no other military in the world that experiences the kind of isolation Taiwan’s does," one administration official told the daily. "They don’t train or have contacts with anyone. And as warfare becomes more complex, it has become more difficult to handle all these new technologies."

Beijing has warned third nations not to recognize Taiwan, which it considers a renegade province. China has become increasingly bellicose toward Taipei in the weeks leading up to the island’s March 18 Presidential elections, won by pro-independence candidate Chen Shui-bian. And despite Chen softening his stance on independence, Beijing has yet to ease up on its threats that Taipei reunify with the mainland or risk a forceful takeover. That, put together with the Pentagon’s latest report, could influence the US administration’s decision on what weapons to sell the island of 22 million people.

According to the Post, the administration is due to decide on whether to sell four sophisticated Aegis destroyers and other advanced weapons to Taipei in April — a move that could act as the "last straw" in the already strained US-China relations. In spite of President Bill Clinton’s strong policy of engagement with China, US officials insist the administration will stick by its legal obligation to help Taiwan defend itself in the face of aggression.

"We’ve made it clear that we’re going to stand by our commitments to fulfill Taiwan’s legitimate defensive needs," said Kurt Campbell, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs. "We’ve made that point clear to Taiwan and the PRC (China) and that’s just the way its going to be," he said on Thursday.

But Jesse Helms, an ultra-conservative Republican who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also writing in the Washington Post, slammed Clinton’s policy of "appeasement" toward Beijing. "We must have a new approach," Helms said, underlining the Pentagon’s analysis that within five years China will have air superiority over Taiwan and be capable of blockading the island.

He demanded the US sell Taiwan "AIM-120 Air defense missiles, diesel submarines and Aegis destroyers with early warning radars," share theater missile defense technology and expand military cooperation with the island. By doing so, Helms claimed, Taiwan could sit down at the bargaining table and "engage the mainland on the basis of peace through strength."