- We promote regional stability and prosperity, and oppose arms race.
- Beijing's militant behavior is threatening regional stability.
- We reserve the inalienable right of self-defense, and our decision whether
to participate in the TMD stands under such right.
- Beijing's behavior will ultimately determine whether we decide to participate
in the TMD.
- Only Mainland China's democratization can assure regional stability and
prosperity.
In March 1996, Beijing lobbed missiles at Taiwan. Since then, the People's Liberation
Army has deployed more than 100 of its newest M-9 and M-11 missiles across the
Taiwan Straits, and the number may reach 650 by 2005, according to Pentagon.
In August 1998, North Korea launched missiles over Japan. These incidents and
security threats from elsewhere prompted the US to more than double its ballistic-missile-defense
budget in February 1999 to a record $10 billion dollars between now and 2005.
A part of the program is the Theater Missile Defense, designed to neutralize
ballistic missile attacks in North East Asia.
Will the Republic of China participate in the development and employment of
TMD? Our views follow.
- We promote regional stability and prosperity,, and oppose arms race. Our
economic development has garnered the accolade of "Taiwan miracle",
and is a major source of our people's much enhanced well-being. To insure our
continued prosperity, we must actively promote regional stability and fully
support any effort toward it. To engage in an arms race siphons off the life-blood
of one's economy. We oppose arms race, as it is incompatible with our national
interest.
- Beijing's militant behavior is threatening regional stability. Beijing has
not renounced the use of force against Taiwan, which Beijing has from time
to time reiterated. Beijing's military build-up substantiates its militant
rhetoric. Since 1989, its official defense budget--not to mention the actual
expenditure--has grown at double-digit, far outstripping the inflation rate.
Its post-strait-crisis military exercises, at frequency no lower than the
previous, have contained scenarios of sea-crossing, airborne, urban-warfare,
and subtropical-jungle operations. These are expressly targeted at Taiwan.
Beijing's vigorous arms acquisitions, both through indigenous and foreign
sources, have progressed rapidly.
- We reserve the inalienable right of self-defense, and our decision whether
to participate in the TMD stands under such right. In 1991, we annulled the
"Temporary Statute on Mobilization during the Communist Rebellion".
By that, we switched to a defensive strategic posture from an offensive one
aiming to recover the Chinese mainland by force. Beijing to this day has not
followed suit. It has maintained an offensive strategic posture--a relic of
the Cold War--toward us. Our self-defense, like our survival, is an inalienable
right commonly shared by all nations. TMD, by definition, is a system of defense,
not offense. The Republic of China is an independent and sovereign country.
We reserve the right to decide whether to participate in the TMD. Beijing's
opposition on this matter merely belies its intent of aggression.
- Beijing's behavior will ultimately determine whether we decide to participate
in the TMD. The proliferation of massive-destruction weapons into the hands
of irresponsible states poses a threat to not only regional but also global
peace and stability. Against this threat TMD may offer some prospects of deterrence
and defense. However, we fully realize the evolving nature of the TMD technology,
the sizable financial commitment involved, and the strategic uncertainties of
cross-strait relations. We, as peace-loving nation, are seriously concerned
with the issue, and are cautiously assessing it before making our decision thereon.
There are many factors influencing our assessment. But Beijing's behavior as
such, or possible reduction thereof in the future, will ultimately determine
whether we decide to participate in the TMD.
Only Mainland China's democratization can assure regional stability and prosperity.
Our democratization--the bloodless and peaceful revolution--has won global recognition.
As the world enters the 21st century, the sweeping waves of democracy can no
longer be held back. While we have chosen the right side of history, Beijing
has not. We hope Beijing will soon. So hopes the rest of the world. Between
democracies, few wars have occurred in this centuries, and none since the end
of World War II. In the long run, only if mainland China democratizes can regional
stability and prosperity be assured.