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Muzi News http://dailynews.muzi.com/topics/Spratly_dispute/index.shtml
Muzi.com : News : Philippine Navy Fires Warning
Shots at Chinese Boats
Muzi News (http://dailynews.muzi.com): 2000-02-04] MANILA, Philippines - A Philippine navy
patrol ship fired three warning shots near two Chinese fishing boats, warning that they
should leave a shoal in the disputed South China Sea area, officials said Friday.
The Chinese boats, trolling waters claimed by both countries, attempted to evade the
patrol ship after they were spotted near Scarborough Shoal late Wednesday afternoon, Vice
Admiral Luisito Fernandez said in a report.
He said the Philippine ship attempted to contact the boats by radio without success. It
signaled with lights and a sound system, but the fishing boats continued evasive actions,
he said.
About an hour after the initial sighting, the commanding officer on the Philippine ship
``decided to fire a warning shot of three rounds in the opposite direction of the fishing
vessels,'' Fernandez said.
The fishing boats halted after the shots were fired, and left the area after men on a
rubber boat sent from the patrol ship instructed them to leave, he said.
The Philippines protested to China twice in January over the presence of Chinese fishing
boats in the area of Scarborough Shoal. China responded by accusing the Philippines of
harassing, forcibly boarding and robbing Chinese boats in the waters.
The Philippines says the shallow waters lie within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone,
and that it has the right to patrol the area and safeguard its resources. Beijing,
however, claims the area has long been a Chinese fishing ground.
In May last year, a Philippine patrol boat accidentally sank a Chinese fishing boat it was
chasing near the shoal. All those aboard the boat were rescued.
The shallow waters, which hold rich fishing grounds, lie 130 miles off the western
Philippine province of Zambales and north of the Spratly Islands, another disputed
territory
MuziNet : Dailynews : China Makes Proposal in Island Fight
Muzi Dailynews (http://www.latelinenews.com):
1999-11-29] SINGAPORE - If the dispute among Asian nations over the Spratly Islands in the
South China Sea cannot be resolved, the governments involved should instead jointly
develop the archipelago, a Chinese spokesman said today. Lateline
News http://www.latelinenews.com
The territorial dispute over the Spratlys, which are believed to lie in the middle of rich
oil and national gas fields, has become a major irritant among several Asian governments. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
``If the dispute cannot be resolved for the time being, we have put in a pragmatic
response,'' Zhu Bangzao, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, told reporters.
``Let's shelve the dispute and join to develop the islands.'' Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
Five governments - China, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines - claim the
islands. Zhu Bangzao spoke during a visit that Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji is making to
Singapore. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
The Foreign Ministry spokesman also reiterated Chinese claims to the islands during an
evening news conference. He said the Spratlys ``have always been Chinese territory from
ancient times. China has undisputed sovereignty over the islands.'' Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
The dispute was a major topic during the weekend summit of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations. The leaders of ASEAN proposed a ``code of conduct'' that was rebuffed by
the Chinese. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
``It is better for us to deal with it seriously and in real earnest and then after it is
signed it will become a very valuable document,'' Zhu told reporters after meeting with
Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. Lateline News
http://www.latelinenews.com
The Chinese leader said the parties to the dispute have reached agreement on the bulk of
the code. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
``However, some disagreements remain,'' he said through an interpreter. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
At a dinner held in Zhu's honor today, Goh said China's decision not to devalue its
currency helped contain the impact of the Asian financial crisis. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
``China's good economic performance, and in particular, its decision not to devalue the
renminbi, has helped contain the impact of the crisis and contributed to the region's
economic recovery,'' Goh said. Lateline News
http://www.latelinenews.com
China's expected entry into the World Trade Organization also has been a major topic of
conversation during the Chinese premier's travels. Zhu said membership in the WTO would
bring China disadvantages as well as benefits. Lateline
News http://www.latelinenews.com
``Once we open up our markets it would force us to cope with the challenges arising from
the opening up,'' he said. Lateline News
http://www.latelinenews.com
Zhu arrived in Singapore today for a three-day visit to discuss international and regional
issues with leaders of Singapore, the richest country in Southeast Asia. This is Zhu's
first visit to Singapore as premier.
MuziNet : Dailynews : Bulk of agreement reached on Spratlys
code
[Muzi Dailynews (http://www.latelinenews.com):
1999-11-29] SINGAPORE - Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said on Monday the bulk of an agreement
on a proposed code of conduct on disputed islands in the South China Sea has been reached
but disagreements remain. Lateline News
http://www.latelinenews.com
Zhu, who is on a state visit to Singapore, said the disagreements were both among members
of the Association of South East Asian Nations and with China. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
``In principle all the parties concerned have expressed their support to such a code of
conduct. Actually we have reached an agreement on the bulk of the code of conduct,'' Zhu
told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
Zhu said the code of conduct was a very serious and important matter to China and it would
not rush to sign an agreement. Lateline News
http://www.latelinenews.com
``It is important that after signing it is carried out, therefore we need to have full
consultation in order to achieve unanimous agreement,'' he said through an interpreter. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday in Manila that ``major differences''
existed between it and other claimants, adding that rival claimants had put up ``new
obstacles'' to the signing of the plan to defuse tensions in the area. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
At the centre of the dispute is a cluster of isles, reefs and rocky outcrops -- called the
Spratly islands -- which are potentially rich in oil and straddle strategically important
sealanes. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
The Spratlys are claimed wholly or in part by China, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines,
Malaysia and Brunei. Adjacent to the Spratlys is another island group, the Paracels, which
are disputed by Vietnam and Brunei. Lateline News
http://www.latelinenews.com
ASEAN groups Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, the
Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei. Lateline News
http://www.latelinenews.com
Zhu said his bilateral talks with Goh focused on improving already strong diplomatic and
economic relations. Goh will make a state visit to China next year. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
The spokesman said Zhu has called for deepening economic and trade relations by inviting
more investment from Singapore in central and western China. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
He said the two sides looked to strengthen cooperation in the financial sector to guard
against risks and explore listing of Chinese companies in Singapore. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
A Chinese embassy official in Singapore said bilateral trade had grown to $8.15 billion in
1998 from $2.82 billion in 1990.
Muzi Lateline News : China cautions against Philippine-US war games near Spratlys
Muzi Lateline News (lateline.muzi.net): 8/4/99]
BACOLOD, Philippines - China on Tuesday cautioned against the holding of joint
Philippines-US military exercises near the disputed Spratly islands, AFP reported. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Fu Ying said Washington should maintain its policy
of neutrality regarding the conflicting claims over the South China Sea chain. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
"In the light of this policy, I think the US will be very careful where they do
military exercises and usually, countries would be very careful to stay away from disputed
areas," she said in a news conference. Lateline News
http://www.latelinenews.com
"I hope this sensitivity to the disputed area will be respected," said Fu, who
was visiting the central city of Bacolod as a guest of the local Filipino-Chinese chamber
of commerce. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
Philippine military chief General Angelo Reyes announced last week that American and
Filipino troops will hold joint exercises in the western island of Palawan, the closest
major Philippine island to the disputed Spratlys chain. Lateline
News http://www.latelinenews.com
However, Reyes said this was not connected to the simmering disputes over the Spratlys,
insisting "we would not want to deliver any political message." Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
He said the exercises in Palawan, scheduled in February and March, were "not near the
disputed areas" and had "no relation whatsoever to the Spratlys." Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
The maneuvers will be the first major joint military exercise between the Philippines and
the United States in four years, signalling the warming defense relations between the two
allies. Lateline News http://www.latelinenews.com
Joint military exercises resumed after the Philippine senate ratified an agreement
covering the legal status of US forces participating in the exercises when they commit
crimes in the country. Lateline News
http://www.latelinenews.com
The Philippines and China, along with Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, have laid
partial or entire claims to the Spratlys which guard vital shipping lanes and are believed
to sit atop vast mineral deposits. Lateline News
http://www.latelinenews.com
A dispute over Chinese construction on Philippine-claimed Mischief Reef and the sinking of
two Chinese fishing boats in collisions with Filipino navy warships have strained
bilateral ties.
Fearing China, Manila Turns to U.S.
Muzi Lateline News (dailynews.muzi.net):
7/5/99] WASHINGTON - Eight years after the Philippines ordered a shutdown of American
military bases on its soil, Filipino concern over Chinese actions in the South China Sea
is leading to a partial revitalization of U.S.-Philippines military ties. Lateline News http://dailynews.muzi.net
At issue is Chinese construction on Mischief Reef, about 150 miles from Philippine
territory and 800 miles from China. Manila is worried that Chinese construction there
could be used to assist military operations. Lateline News
http://dailynews.muzi.net
Neither the United States nor the Philippines is talking about reviving the sprawling U.S.
bases that were once the centerpiece of a military relationship that reached a high point
in 1944 when U.S. forces helped liberate the islands from Japan. Since 1951, the two
countries have been bound together by a defense treaty. Lateline
News http://dailynews.muzi.net
Nowadays, a more modest - and more politically sustainable - arrangement is contemplated,
involving joint military exercises and periodic visits to Filipino ports by large U.S.
military vessels. American officials declined to speculate about the possibility that the
evolving relationship with the Philippines could one day bring the United States into a
conflict with China. Lateline News
http://dailynews.muzi.net
In any case, the shift in sentiment in the Philippines toward its one-time colonizer has
been dramatic. In 1991, when the Philippines Senate rejected a proposed treaty governing
the U.S. bases, then-Senators Joseph Estrada and Orlando Mercado were among those voting
against it. Months later, the U.S. military abandoned the bases. Lateline News http://dailynews.muzi.net
Today, Estrada is president and Mercado is defense secretary. Both are enthusiastic
proponents of renewed military ties with the United States. In late May, the Philippines
Senate voted 23-5 to approve a so-called Visiting Forces Agreement, which lays the legal
groundwork for the return of American servicemen. Plans are under way for joint exercises
early next year. Lateline News http://dailynews.muzi.net
In rejecting church and Communist opposition to the proposal, Mercado said, ``Our country
is weak, is extremely vulnerable to external threats and needs this alliance (with the
United States) in order to protect our national interest.'' Lateline News http://dailynews.muzi.net
Just how far the United States will be willing to go to defend its ally is a matter of
debate. Outgoing Filipino Ambassador Raul Rabe said in an interview that the United States
pledged before the May vote to extend its defense perimeter into the South China Sea. Lateline News http://dailynews.muzi.net
U.S. officials say the administration has merely reaffirmed long-standing policy of
pledging to consult with the Philippines if either party's territory is attacked -
consistent with the defense treaty's language. Lateline
News http://dailynews.muzi.net
The officials, who asked not to be identified, also seemed intent on not raising the
rhetorical temperature - perhaps with a view toward someday mediating the territorial
dispute between the Philippines and China, a role it could not play if it aligns itself
too closely with the Filipino position. The South China Sea is but one of many territorial
disputes in the region. Lateline News
http://dailynews.muzi.net
``We're not going to give them (the Philippines) a blank check,'' one official said. He
also noted the United States has made clear its neutrality in the South China Sea dispute
and he cited approvingly China's assertion that it will not interfere with freedom of
navigation there. No significant U.S. weapons sales to the Philippines are contemplated,
he added. Lateline News http://dailynews.muzi.net
If China is alarmed by the resurrection of the U.S.-Philippines military ties, it is not
saying so publicly. China's ambassador to Manila, Fu Ying, told the Far Eastern Economic
Review: ``We see the proposed Visiting Forces Agreement as a matter between the
Philippines and the U.S.'' Lateline News
http://dailynews.muzi.net
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., a member of the House International Relations Committee,
is alarmed by what he calls ``a massive military buildup'' by China in the region. Lateline News http://dailynews.muzi.net
China, he said, ``is claiming the entire area of the South China Sea.... This is a
blueprint for war on the part of Beijing.'' [AP]
China says Spratlys issue will not harm Asian
neighbours
[Lateline News (lateline.muzi.net): 6/16/99]
KUALA LUMPUR - China on Tuesday assured its Asian neighbours that it will not allow the
Spratlys issue to harm diplomatic ties. Lateline News
http://lateline.muzi.net
"We won't let the problem to affect bilateral relationship with Malaysia, the
Philippines or other countries," Guan Dengming, China's ambassador to Malaysia, was
quoted by AFP as saying. Lateline News
http://lateline.muzi.net
Guan stressed that China hopes the Spratly dispute should be solved through bilaterial
consultation between the affected countries only. Lateline
News http://lateline.muzi.net
China shared Malaysia's stand which opposed the interference of third parties in solving
the dispute over the overlapping claims to the Spratly Islands, he said. Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
"A third party cannot solve the problem but they will complicate it. They have their
own intention," he was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency. Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
The Spratlys straddle vital sea lanes in the South China Sea and are believed to be
sitting atop rich deposits of oil and natural gas. They are claimed in whole or in part by
China, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Guan said the current situation at the disputed zone was stable and not as dangerous as
had been highlighted in the media. Lateline News
http://lateline.muzi.net
It has been reported that the Philippines navy patrol arrested Chinese fishermen in two
incidents in the past two weeks near the disputed area. Lateline
News http://lateline.muzi.net
"Before coming here, I was in the Phillipines for four years. I had dealt with the
Spratlys issue many times and based on my experience, those rumours or remarks are being
played up by the media who took advantage of it for their own interest," he said. Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Guan also said China would work closely with its neighbours to maintain peace and
stability in the region and to continue with its policy of non-interference in the
domestic affairs of other countries.
Sino-Philippine war of words over South China Sea shoal
escalates
Lateline News (lateline.muzi.net): 6/10/99]
MANILA - Philippine officials said Thursday that China's claims to a shoal in the South
China Sea were "without basis", while earlier in the same day, China's Foreign
Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a Beijing press briefing that Philippine claims to
Huangyan Island, or Scarborough Shoal, were "irresponsible", AFP reported.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
A Chinese fishing boat sank after a collision with a Philippine navy ship off Scarborough
two weeks ago. Beijing claims that the naval ship intentionally smashed the fishing boat
but Manila says it was accidental.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
"Huangyan Island is Chinese territory and the international community, including the
Philippines, has never objected to that before," Zhang said.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
She said China hoped that the Philippines would "not make any more irresponsible
remarks of this kind."
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
The spokeswoman was reacting to presidential executive secretary Ronaldo Zamora's remarks
made on Monday, when he said that Manila would continue to protect its territorial claims
in the South China Sea with naval patrols and reaffirmed the shoal was Philippine
territory.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Zamora reiterated his stance on Thursday, saying that the inclusion of Scarborough Shoal
on a new chart by the Philippine national mapping agency was lawful and based on
international conventions.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
"We are just putting on the map our EEZ," he said, referring to the 200-mile
exclusive economic zone defined by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Scarborough Shoal is only 120 nautical miles from the Philippine province of Zambales,
north of Manila.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
President Joseph Estrada's spokesman, Fernando Barican, also defended Manila's claim to
the shoal.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
"If the Chinese are protesting the inclusion of Scarborough Shoal in the Philippine
map, there is no basis for such protest since the shoal is, without question, under
Philippine sovereignty," he told reporters.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
But in Beijing, Zhang said the shoal was "clearly recorded in Chinese historical
documents."
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
She pointed to a series of treaties signed between the United States and Spain, the
Philippines' former colonial rulers, and between the US and Britain earlier this century
which China believes clearly defined the Philippines' boundary.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
"All the treaties clearly defined the western limits of Philippine territory as lying
within 118 degrees east longitude, and Huangyan lies to the west of that and is part of
China," Zhang said.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Manila and Beijing are locked in an increasingly tense dispute over territories in the
South China Sea.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Diplomatic ties have been strained by Manila's allegations of Chinese construction on
Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratlys island chain.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Philippine police said Thursday that two Chinese fishermen had been arrested just 300
yards (273 meters) from the shore of a Philippine-garrisoned island, Pag-asa, in the
Spratlys chain.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Palawan police chief Jose Balane told AFP that it was the first time that foreign
nationals had been arrested so near to Philippine-held territory in the Spratlys.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Twenty-seven Chinese fishermen were Thursday charged with poaching and illegal entry after
being arrested on Monday off the western Philippine island of Palawan.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Mischief Reef is within the Philippines' 200-mile exclusive economic zone, but is claimed
by China on historical grounds. The Spratlys are also claimed in whole or in part by
Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
-
Lateline News : Manila Rejected Beijing's Call for Punishment
Over Collision
[Lateline News (lateline.muzi.net): 5/26/99]
MANILA - The Philippines called on China on Wednesday to respect Manila's sovereignty over
a disputed rock in the South China Sea to prevent another collision of their ships,
Reuters reported.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
The Foreign Office in a statement insisted the sinking of a Chinese fishing boat in the
area last Sunday was accidental, disputing Beijing's contention that a Philippine Navy
ship had rammed the wooden junk. The boat's three Chinese crewmen survived.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
``The Philippine government calls on the Chinese government to respect Philippine exercise
of sovereignty over Philippine territory to avoid a repeat of this unfortunate incident,''
the statement said.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
President Joseph Estrada ordered a probe into the incident.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
``We have to investigate whose fault (it was), and who is responsible, whether it was the
Chinese fishing vessel that bumped our boat, or our Navy vessel that bumped theirs,''
Estrada told reporters.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
The Philippine Navy has said "rough seas hurled the Chinese boat against the patrol
vessel".
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Ownership of the rocky formation, called Scarborough Shoal, is contested by Manila and
Beijing. The two countries are also squabbling over the potentially oil-rich Spratly
Islands well south of the shoal, which lies about 120 nautical miles west of the main
Philippine island of Luzon.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
``We believe that the unfortunate accident could have been avoided had the Chinese
fishermen respected our territory and our laws,'' the Foreign Office said in a separate
statement.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Defence Secretary Orlando Mercado, trying to assuage Chinese feelings, said the
Philippines "could build a substitute wooden boat " for the fishermen to replace
the one they lost.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
Mercado rejected Beijing's demand that Manila punish the Navy personnel involved in the
incident.
- Lateline News http://lateline.muzi.net
The sinking of the Chinese boat was the latest in a series of incidents which have marred
ties between the two countries. Much of the tension is caused by their rival claims over
tiny isles and rocks in the South China Sea, a vital international sea lane.
Philippines Accuse China Of Dominating Sea
MANILA, Apr. 18, 1999 -- (Reuters) U.S. officials have told the Philippines they
believe China will send larger naval forces to the disputed Spratly Islands, a senior
Philippine official said on Thursday.
Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja, in the sharpest public attack on China by a
Philippine official, accused Beijing of seeking to dominate the entire South China Sea and
urged Japan and other maritime powers to show concern.
"In a recent briefing, Pentagon officials informed the Philippine ambassador in
Washington that in five years time, the Chinese would be projecting even larger naval
forces into the Spratlys," Baja said, referring to a potentially oil-rich cluster of
isles, reefs and rocky outcrops in the South China Sea.
"This being so, Mischief Reef, aside from being a potential air naval base on its
own right, would be a key Chinese command and control facility in support of that
projection," he said.
Baja, in a speech to Manila businessmen, added: "Mischief Reef is a component of a
comprehensive strategy for gaining ascendancy as regional military power."
The Philippines has accused China of sending naval ships to the Manila-claimed reef,
about 135 nautical miles from the Philippines' southwestern coast, and building
potentially military structures in the area.
China has said the facilities are shelters for fishermen and ignored Philippine
requests to dismantle them.
The Spratlys straddle vital sea-lanes and are believed to sit atop huge deposits of oil
and gas. The area is claimed wholly or in part by China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam,
Malaysia and Brunei.
"Considering Chinese hard-line position in claiming the whole of the South China
Sea and on the basis of past Chinese actions, I believe there is an evident attempt to
dominate the whole (South China Sea) as part of its objective to be a regional and
eventually a global power," Baja said.
Baja said China had occupied 11 islands in the Spratlys with an estimated 900 to 1,000
troops stationed in those islands.
"The Philippines must stress on major maritime powers, particularly Japan, the
importance of more active and vocal show of concern over the situation and express
opposition to unilateral actions and militarization moves that will disturb the peace and
stability in the area," Baja said. ( (c) 1999 Reuters)
Philippines Receive Short-Shrift On South China Sea
Dispute
KUNMING, China, Apr. 06, 1999 -- (Agence France Presse) The Philippines came
away empty-handed Monday after seeking a pledge from China over a disputed reef in the
South China Sea, officials said.
The Philippines was "sounding out China" on a proposal for a regional
code of conduct amid a dispute over Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, the Philippines'
Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja said earlier.
"This is a regional plan of action discussed in Hanoi in 1998 which we want
regional countries and claimants to Spratly Islands to sign," he said.
But a Chinese official after the talks in this southwestern city between China
and the nine-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said there was no need
to sign any further documents.
"In today's meetings the Philippines indeed expressed their desire to
explore ways to achieve a new region code of conduct," assistant foreign minister
Wang Yi said.
But he said a statement signed in 1997 between ASEAN and Chinese leaders was
sufficient and represented "a confidence-building measure."
"As long as both sides observe the orientation and content of the joint
statement, then the South China Sea will continue to maintain stability," he said,
adding that China understood the concerns of its neighbors.
"The international shipping lanes have not encountered any problems in the
past and there will be none in the future," he said.
Baja had no immediate comment on the outcome of the talks as they wrapped up
Monday.
But earlier he said the proposed code would spell out guidelines governing
activities in the disputed chain according to international maritime laws.
The move comes amid a diplomatic row between Beijing and Manila over Chinese
structures on a coral reef just 135 nautical miles from the Philippines island of Palawan.
Four ASEAN members -- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam -- lay
partial claim to the Spratlys.
China and Taiwan also partially or wholly claim the Spratlys, a group of reefs,
islands and shoals that lie along strategic shipping lines and are believed to harbor rich
oil reserves.
Analysts have identified the Spratlys as a potential flash point in East Asia,
with tensions exacerbated in recent years by China's building activities there and
Philippine detention of Chinese fishermen.
It was the second blow to the Philippines in less than a month after China in
March promised self-restraint in its dispute but rejected Philippine demands for a
commitment not to build new structures.
Philippine officials said the commitment fell short of their demand that Beijing
make a firm promise to halt all construction of new structures in the Spratlys chain.
China also refused Philippine requests to tear down existing three-story
buildings on the Philippine-claimed Mischief Reef, or to allow Manila equal access to the
facilities -- two of which look like small beachfront hotels. ( (c) 1999
Agence France Presse)
Updated Wed., Mar. 31, 1999 at: Lon 4:54 p.m. Pra 5:54 p.m. NY 11:54 a.m. HK
11:54 p.m.
China Blames Philippines For Spratly Tension
BEIJING, Mar. 31, 1999 -- (Agence France Presse) Tension between China and Philippines
over Chinese structures built on a disputed reef in the Spratly islands is being stirred
up by elements in the Philippine government, a senior Foreign Ministry official said
Wednesday.
"The Philippines side, especially the military and the Congress, are still cooking up
this matter," the official told reporters.
"The tensions are created by the Philippines side. The military should not carry out
reconnaissance missions there and the people in the Philippines should not clamor for the
use of force to settle the situation," he said.
China recently "renovated" structures which it claims are shelters for Chinese
fishermen on Mischief Reef, over which both countries claim sovereignty.
The Philippines first discovered the structures which China built in 1995 but despite
protests by the Philippines, China fortified them into three-story buildings in 1998.
The Philippines claim the structures may be for naval garrisons.
China's assistant foreign minister Wang Yi was in the Philippines earlier this month on a
confidence-building mission between the two countries.
Both sides promised not to escalate tensions in the region and to restrain from taking
actions that would do so.
"We indicated to the Philippines that with the completion of facility and improvement
in bilateral relations, we will consider opening the facility to Philippine fishermen in
the region," the senior Foreign Ministry official told reporters.
China has also told the Philippines to stop detaining and arresting Chinese fishermen in
the South China Sea, the official said.
"Last year they illegally detained 11 fishing boats and 71 fishermen from China,
causing a loss of $800,000 to $1 million to these fishermen," he said.
Asked if China would consider joint sovereignty over the disputed Spratly islands, the
official said: "Sovereignty is indivisible and there is no question of our
sovereignty. The most effective way out of the dispute is that the countries sit down
bilaterally and talk."
Mischief Reef lies amongst the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Brunei, Malaysia,
Taiwan and Vietnam also claim all or part of the Spratlys.
During the talks in Manila two weeks ago, China's Wang insisted on Beijing's
2,000-year-old claims to the entire Spratlys chain whose waters, he added, are traditional
fishing grounds for their fishermen.
He also opposed Philippine plans to raise the dispute before U.N. bodies and regional
forums as well as the involvement of third countries.
Officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China will meet in Kunming
in the southwest province of Yunnan next week where the Spratlys issue is expected to be
raised. ( (c) 1999 Agence France Presse)
China says to exercise restraint over Spratlys
March
30, 1999
Web posted at: 4:34 AM EST (0934 GMT)
BEIJING, March 30 (Reuters) - China and the
Philippines have agreed to practise restraint and avoid moves that could fuel tension in
the disputed South China Sea.
"The two sides agreed to exercise restraint and not make moves that could
lead to the situation magnifying," Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi told reporters
on Tuesday.
"China's stand to devote itself to peace and stability in the South China
Sea has not changed," Sun said.
But Sun sidestepped a question on whether China had promised not to build new
structures on one of the islands in the Spratlys.
Philippine President Joseph Estrada said last week China agreed it would not
build new structures in the Spratlys after a two-day confidence-building meeting in
Manila.
The Spratlys are a cluster of isles, reefs and rocky outcrops believed to be
potentially rich in oil and are claimed entirely or in part by China, the Philippines,
Taiwan, Vietnam and Brunei.
The Philippines has alleged Chinese structures on Mischief Reef -- claimed by
Beijing as Meiji -- could be used for military purposes and demanded their removal.
Beijing has said the facilities are shelters for fishermen and ignored Manila's
demand. China has protested against Philippine air force reconnaissance flights over the
area.
Sun said China had "indisputable sovereignty" over the Spratlys.
The shelters were for fishermen and had been repaired after being damaged, he
said.
China advocates shelving the dispute and jointly developing the islands, Sun
said, adding that the issue should be resolved through dialogue.
China was willing to settle the dispute in accordance with international law and
enter into bilateral cooperation with other claimants to avoid complicating the situation,
the spokesman added.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are scheduled to hold
high-level consultation in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming from April 5-8.
Copyright
1999 Reuters.
Updated Tue., Mar. 23, 1999 at: Lon 2:04 p.m. Pra 3:04 p.m. NY 9:04 a.m. HK 9:04 p.m. 
China Refuses Commitment On Spratlys Spat
MANILA, Mar. 23, 1999 -- (Agence France Presse) Chinese representatives have declined to
give a categorical commitment not to build more structures in the disputed Spratly islands
despite overnight talks, Philippine officials said in Manila on Tuesday.
Delegations from the Philippines and China on Tuesday continued to try to hammer out the
contents of a joint statement to be issued after two days of talks in this country to
resolve a territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
Philippine diplomatic sources said Tuesday that they were still trying to get a
"categorical commitment" from China not to build new structures in the Spratly
island group in the South China Sea.
However, the sources said China was resisting making such a commitment.
The dispute focuses on the Philippines' complaints over a fortified structure (pictured)
that China erected on Mischief Reef, an outcrop in the Spratly islands claimed by both
countries.
The structure has raised tensions between the two countries, leading to the holding of
this expert-level meeting.
But on the opening day Monday, China ignored Philippine demands to dismantle the
structures on Mischief Reef and rebuffed Manila's bid to gain equal access to the
facilities.
The Philippines later presented a draft joint statement to the Chinese side, but no
agreement could be reached.
Chinese assistant foreign minister Wang Yi and Philippine foreign undersecretary Lauro
Baja were Tuesday in one-on-one talks to iron out the differences in the content of the
joint statement.
Baja told reporters late Monday: "They (the Chinese) have a phrase there that I
interpret to mean that China will not undertake a unilateral act to occupy or build any
structures on any reef."
"But I want it in a language that (is clear)," he added.
The Spratlys are a chain of islands in the South China Sea which are claimed in whole or
part by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam as well as the Philippines and China.
The islands are believed to sit on vast mineral resources. All claimants except Brunei
have troops posted in the area, which is considered to be a potential flash-point in Asia.
( (c) 1999 Agence France Presse)
ON THE NEWS
Philippines, China open talks Spratlys dispute
March
22, 1999
Web posted at: 2:06 AM EST (0706 GMT)
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- The Philippines and China
opened two days of talks on Monday to find ways to resolve their simmering dispute over
the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
The two sides were to discuss a Chinese proposal for joint use of structures China
built on Mischief Reef, an area in the Spratlys claimed by both countries.
The Philippines has demanded that China dismantle the structures, which are located
about 215 kilometers west of the central Philippine province of Palawan and within its
exclusive economic zone.
In a statement, Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja said the discussions
require "the determination of both our sides to preserve and advance" bilateral
ties.
Baja said good relations between the two countries, beginning with the establishment of
diplomatic ties between Manila and Beijing in 1975, were "rudely interrupted"
when China first built concrete structures on Mischief Reef in 1995.
"We cannot overly emphasize the concern, the fear, the humiliation of the Filipino
people over this development, especially since the action came from a big neighbor which
we had always assumed as a great friend," Baja said.
Tension mounted in October 1998 when China replaced the concrete huts with three-story
concrete buildings, and Philippine officials accused China of "creeping
invasion."
China said the buildings are storm shelters for Chinese fishermen. Philippine
officials, however, believe they can be used for military purposes.
The head of the Chinese delegation, Assistant Foreign Minister Wang Yi, repeated
Beijing's denials that the structures were intended for military use.
"That facility is completely for civilian purposes. It is so right now, and it
will also be so in the future," he told reporters.
He said he was optimistic about the outcome of the talks and expected Philippine
officials to adopt "a cooperative attitude."
Asked if China would dismantle the structures, Wang replied: "The Mischief Reef is
Chinese territory, and we have true and sufficient basis and evidence to support our
claim."
On Sunday, Wang said that Beijing wants a peaceful settlement of the dispute but that
it was opposed to the United Nations getting involved.
"We have long believed that our two countries shall settle this question and
problem through friendly consultations," Wang told reporters.
Although China prefers resolving the problem bilaterally, Wang said they are open to a
settlement based on international law, including the U.N. Convention on the Law of the
Seas, which sets certain marine territorial boundaries for nations.
The Philippines has been seeking international support to halt what it says is China's
expansion in the Spratlys archipelago, an area that straddles one of the world's busiest
sea lanes.
U.N. Secretary General Koffi Annan told Philippine President Joseph Estrada last week
that he will work for a peaceful settlement of the dispute.
China, Vietnam and Taiwan claim all of the Spratlys while the Philippines, Malaysia and
Brunei claim only some areas.
The islands are believed to be rich in oil and other minerals.
Copyright
1999 The Associated Press
UN to help Manila in row over Spratlys
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has promised to help settle the simmering
territorial dispute between the Philippines and China over the Spratly Islands, President
Estrada said yesterday.
''The UN secretary general promised that he will do everything to resolve this problem
through peaceful means, through diplomatic means,'' the President said in a phone
interview from Los Angeles, during his weekly radio program ''Jeep ni Erap.''
But while Mr. Estrada said that ''China is clearly intruding into our territory,'' he was
all in favor of the proposed Visiting Forces Agreement with Washington, slamming left-wing
students who picketed the US Embassy in Manila this week.
The President's request for UN intervention in the Spratlys dispute capped a series of
efforts by his administration to seek international support for Philippine claims on the
oil-rich island chain, despite Beijing's insistence that the dispute should not leave
Asia.
In Manila, top diplomats prepared to sit down for a verbal wrestling match with their
Chinese counterparts starting today.
One senior diplomat described fortified Chinese structures on Mischief Reef as ''daggers''
plunged into the heart of the Philippines.
Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon met Beijing's new woman ambassador on Thursday and
informed her that many Filipinos were outraged at the Chinese occupation of the reef.
Siazon told Ambassador Fu Ying that the occupation was ''a grave national concern.''
''It has conveyed the impression among the Filipino people that a big major power is
imposing its awesome superiority over a small, vastly handicapped nation,'' Siazon was
quoted by an official as telling the Chinese envoy.
Fu's response was reportedly evasive.
Siazon is scheduled to hold one-on-one talks with Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wang
Yi today.
'Daggers in heart'
The Chinese structures on Mischief Reef ''are daggers in the heart of Philippine security
concerns,'' said Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja, who heads a Philippine delegation that
will meet with Chinese experts tomorrow and Tuesday to prevent an escalation of the
dispute.
The talks will be the first since the dispute between Beijing and Manila erupted over the
structures in 1995.
Mr. Estrada said he had asked Annan ''if he could intervene in this process so that we
might have diplomatic talks for a peaceful resolution of the conflict over the Spratly
Islands and Mischief Reef.''
The two leaders met for half an hour earlier this week at the UN headquarters in New York.
The President earlier attended the funeral of his oldest brother, Emilio Ejercito, who
died last week of leukemia.
Erap defends VFA
On his radio program, Mr. Estrada said the VFA, a military training pact set to be
discussed by the Senate next month, was vital in boosting the standard of the country's
Armed Forces.
''Our military is one of the weakest,'' he said, adding that troops would benefit from
being exposed to ''sophisticated weapons . . . that they have not seen before.''
He added the United States might provide the poorly equipped Philippine military with new
weapons once joint training exercises begin.
Mr. Estrada said left-wing activists were afraid US military training would boost the
Philippine military's capabilities in fighting local communist guerrillas.
On Friday, leftist activists staged a violent protest in front of the US Embassy to show
their opposition to the military training pact, claiming it would infringe on Philippine
sovereignty.
Reacting to the incident, Mr. Estrada said: ''Why don't those leftists protest at the
Chinese Embassy?''
''What happened in Mischief Reef and the Spratly Islands ... we could do nothing,'' he
added.
News blackout
Chinese Ambassador Fu told Siazon the Chinese Embassy has not been informing Beijing about
local media reports on Mischief Reef, ''in order not to excite the Chinese people and
inflame the situation,'' said Juanito Jarasa, the assistant foreign secretary of Asian and
Pacific Affairs.
The tension between the two sides heightened late last year after China built larger
concrete structures on the reef, which is claimed by both countries but is only 135 miles
west of Palawan.
The reef is also within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone as defined by the UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).
Wang, the Chinese assistant foreign minister, will lead a Chinese delegation in the
two-day talks with the Philippines to draw up confidence-building measures over the
brewing dispute.
Maximum demand
Topping the agenda of the meetings is a Chinese proposal for ''joint use'' of the
structures with the Philippines.
Baja said Manila's ''maximum demand'' would be the dismantling of the buildings, but he
conceded it was unlikely that China would agree.
The Chinese say the structures are fishermen's shelters but local defense officials say
they appear to be naval garrisons.
''The maximum demand is to remove those structures. Failing that, then you have to enter
in to some sort of arrangement, a modus vivendi. That's what we should explore with the
Chinese on Monday,'' Baja told a news briefing. He said he thought that an agreement
should be reached by 2000.
Baja said the Filipinos would seek clarification regarding China's offer for joint use of
the Mischief Reef structures.
China has said that when the structures are completed ''fishermen from other nations,
including the Philippines, will be entitled to use the facilities when the conditions are
ripe.''
Proper forum
The results of the coming discussions would determine whether the Philippines would raise
the dispute before UN bodies such as the Unclos tribunal, Baja said.
''Certainly, one of our ideas is that (the Unclos court) is a proper forum. That depends
on what happens on Monday,'' Baja said.
Mischief Reef is part of the Spratlys chain of islands, reefs and shoals in the South
China Sea that straddle one of the world's busiest sea lanes.
The Spratlys are believed to be rich in oil and minerals. China, Vietnam and Taiwan claim
the entire area, while the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan claim some islands.
Reports from Martin Marfil and Inquirer wires
More news at http://www.inquirer.net/
THE PLA CONSOLIDATE THEIR CONTROL OF THE
SOUTH CHINA SEA
By Andrei Pinkov
 JH7 by
Andrei Pinkov
 J8 2M by Andrei Pinkov
As the pictures recently shown by the China Central Television Station revealed, the J8D
in-flight refueling fighter planes have already equipped the naval air force. Normally,
the fighter planes whose codes begin with "8" belong to the naval air force. In
the meantime, it is also believed that the J8D planes also serve the South Sea Fleet. J8D
is mainly used to conduct escort operations for the JH7 fighter-bombers and the H6 bombers
as they launch an attack. In addition, if necessary, it can also carry the conventional
bombs to perform the mission of attacking an island in South China Sea. The pictures shown
on the international channel of the China Central
Television Station revealed that the J8D planes were also equipped with the radio warning
receivers (RWR) originating from the KJ8602, its two antennas clearly visible on top of
the vertical fin. It is reported that the date of production for the J8B/D equipped with
the KJ 8602 RWR system may be later than 1996 as the earlier J8B planes were not equipped
with the KJ8602 radio warning receivers.
After obtaining around 24 JH7 planes and at least 24 J8D planes to be used together with
its 50 SU27 and H6 fighter planes, the Chinese navy has gained the control of the air
above the South China Sea, unnoticed.
In terms of the control of the South China Sea, it is believed that the South Sea Fleet
will use the largest “Lu Hai” -class destroyer (with a displacement of 6000
tons) that started to serve the navy in December 1998. Recently, an article of the PLA
Daily News Paper has hinted that a new Chinese-made submarine was delivered to the navy in
May 1997 and was deployed, after a half-year training, at the Hainan Island that is under
the jurisdiction of the South Sea Fleet. It may be the "Ming"-class submarine.
During the Cold War period, China persistently focused on the construction of its North
Sea Fleet in its northern territory. This fleet was usually the first to be equipped with
the latest equipment. This practice lasted all the way until the early 1990s. The first
(No. 112) of the "Luhu"-class destroyers (with a displacement of 4200 tons) was
also given to this fleet.
In the same period, a dispute arose inside the navy on the development strategy and the
concept of "balanced development" was proposed. The consolidation of the
construction of the South Sea Fleet is the specific manifestation of the implementation of
this strategic consideration.
In addition, there have been, in recent years, more frequent visits to the south by the
East Sea Fleet that normally coordinates and supports the north and the south if need be
and will play a major role in the struggle for the control of the Taiwan Strait. Even the
second (No.113) of the "Luhu"-class destroyers also visited the Southeast Asia.
As China has been continuously increasing its presence in the controversial South China
Sea, the movement of the South China Sea Fleet will become more conspicuous in the future
(Andrei Pinkov).
CHINA DEPLOYED THE NEW SUBMARINE IN ITS SOUTH CHINA SEA FLEET
(Kanwa news 15 Feb) The PLA Daily News Paper has lately indicated that the new
submarinethat had been delivered to the Chinese navy in May 1997 was deployed at the
military port surrounded by the coconut forest and it underwent an in-depth torpedo attack
training in the strange area of the South China Sea in June 1998. This, once again, proves
that the Chinese navy has frequented the South China Sea in recent years and it has
covered an ever more extensive, new area. According to the analysis of the KWIC expert,
this is an upgraded Ming-class submarine as, in 1997, a Ming-class submarine of the same
type was launched into the water. The Ming-class submarine that now serves the South China
Sea Fleet is equipped with a satellite-guiding system. Not including this new submarine,
the Chinese navy owns a total of 15 Ming-class submarines, all of which serve the North
Sea Fleet. Therefore, the above report of the PLA Daily newspaper shows that the
Ming-class submarine has now started to be used on the South China Sea. This is another
demonstration of the step that the Chinese navy has taken in enhancing the construction of
its South Sea Fleet. (Kanwa news Andrei Pinkov).
China Disputes Philippine Claim over Spratly Structures
BEIJING, Feb. 26, 1999 -- (Reuters)
China dismissed on Thursday a report by Philippine defense officials that Beijing had
built a helicopter landing pad, radar facilities and possible gun emplacements on a reef
in the disputed Spratly Islands. (Pictured, an aerial photograph taken by a Philippine
reconnaissance plane shows one of the structures)
"The reports that you mentioned are groundless," said Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue. The structures were shelters for fisherman, she told a news
conference.
"China has indisputable sovereignty over the Spratly Islands. Maintaining and
consolidating the wind shelters on Mischief Reef are entirely for peaceful purposes,"
she said.
Philippine Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said this month that he had reconnaissance
photos that challenge China's assertion.
"The construction at Mischief has been completed," he said.
"There appears to be a helipad, radar facilities. Antennas are obvious and it's very
easy for them to put in gun emplacements there," he said.
The Spratlys are a cluster of potentially oil-rich islets, reefs and rocky outcrops
claimed wholly or in part by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.
The Philippines has protested against China's presence on Mischief Reef and accused
Beijing of sending warships and other vessels to the area late last year to fortify
structures that Manila said could be turned into a naval base. ( (c) 1999
Reuters)
China Has Taken Specific Measures Against The TMD Plan
[KANWA Jan. 25 Andrei Pinkov] At present, China seems to start to enhance, both in
theory and in experiment, its research of the counter-measures against the TMD plan
carried out by the USA and Japan. The Knowledge of Weapons Monthly, a publication with a
military background, claims that the Chinese army deployed the new ground-to- ground
missiles that carried shrapnel heads. The KWIC' s precise information analysis concludes
that the Chinese army conducted at least one experiment on its own anti-ballistic missile
system in October, 1997. A military source has publicly indicated that the new long-range
ground-to-air missile has the capability of attacking the small objects flying at a high
velocityame time. There is clear information that China is developing its own long-range
ground-to-air missile named 2000 Series, on the basis of Russian S300PMU1. In the past
several months, the military theoretical publications have been consistently exploring the
theoretical possibility of increasing the ballistic missile' s flying speed, and
shortening the time for the separation of the warhead from the body. According to the
publications, the XXXX stealth paint has been successfully developed that can be used for
the missile warheads (Kanwa digest news by Andrei Pinkov).
China Hopes To Set Up An "Anti-TMD Alliance"
-By Andrei Pinkov
China has made an extremely strong response to the TMD development both the USA and
Japan are planning to undertake. There are indications that China has worked out the
corresponding counter-measures at least in terms of its " deterrent " level so
as to prevent Japan and the USA from including Taiwan in the TMD system. As a Chinese
influential scholar of foreign affairs told the KWIC reporter, he believed that the new
proliferation of the ballistic missile technology was bound to happen if Japan and the USA
insisted on proliferating the anti-ballistic missile technology to Taiwan. This is
tantamount to declaring that in this situation, China will not necessarily abide by the
understanding it reached with the USA in 1994 on the prevention of the proliferation of
ballistic missile technology.
An expert of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences also indicated to the KWIC reporter
that the TMD development would cause China to make an even bigger military investment and
to take the corresponding counter-measures, thus jeopardizing the Chinese development
policy of " taking the economic construction as the top priority ". He said that
the USA had hoped to wear down the Soviet Union through the "Star War" in the
1980s and it would now use the same trick to put pressure on China. A series of movements
also indicate that China hopes to launch an Anti-TMD and anti- NBMD campaign with Russia.
Recently, China has repeatly asserted that the TMD plan is in violation of the ABM Treaty
reached between the USA and the Soviet Union in 1972. In the meantime, China also wishes
to make the ABM Treaty an international one. Though a strong force in the US Congress
wants to end or modify the ABM Treaty, yet the motion was strongly opposed by Russia.
The above-mentioned change of China’ s attitude toward the ABM Treaty also
indicates that China has more profound implications on the issue of the anti-ballistic
missile technology. That is China opposes the US deloyment of the NBMD. It shows that
China fears that its limited " second nuclear counter-attack capability " will
thus become partially or even totally impotent.
Even though Taiwan will not end up getting totally involved in the TMD plan, the
implementation of this plan by the USA and Japan will remain a factor that further
complicates the strategic relationships of security between China, Japan, and the USA in
the 21st century. This will, in turn, affect the all-rounded development of these entire
relationships and will enhance China’ s cooperation with Russia in the similar areas
( Andrei Pinkov).
The Chinese Propaganda Media Hints That A Manned Vehicle Will Be
Launched This Year.
SU30MK by Andrei Pinkov
[KWIC news Jan. 21] The pro-China Da Gong Paper of Hong Kong reports recently that after
more than one year of meticulous construction and joint cooperation of the Shanghai
Jiangnan Shipbuilding Group and nearly one hundred research institutes and
factories across China, the project for the technical upgrade of China’ s Yuanwang
space and ocean survey fleet has been completed with a great success. This marks a giant
step that China has taken in its space and ocean survey capability toward the advanced
level of the world.
The newspaper further indicates that according to a responsible person of a department
concened, the newly transformed survey ships will carry out the marine survey mission this
year for the trial launch of several satellites and a new space vehicle. For this purpose,
they will make their voyage to the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, where
they will be stationed (Kanwa digest news by John Wu).
Tue., Feb. 02, 1999 at: Lon 12:00 p.m. Pra 1:00 p.m. NY 7:00 a.m. HK
7:00 p.m.
Taiwan to Expand Anti-Missile Capabilities
TAIPEI, Feb. 02, 1999 -- (Agence France Presse)
Taiwan's military will expand its anti-missile capability to thwart any
threat from rival China, new Defense Minister Tang Fei said Monday.
"How to counter China's missile threat has been given top priority
among the military's ongoing arms buildup plans," Tang told reporters after he was
sworn in to succeed the retiring Chiang Chung-ling.
"In addition to the Patriot missile system, we will adopt other
effective defensive measures which are under evaluation."
He said the island might be interested in any defensive system
available on the international market.
Prime Minister Vincent Siew and his new Cabinet took their oaths
following a resignation en masse on Jan. 21 ahead of a shakeup.
Taiwan bought three batteries of PAC-II Plus Patriot missiles in 1992
at a cost of T$22.8 billion (US$706 million) despite China's wrath.
The three units, comprising missiles, wheeled vehicles and
multi-functional radar, are to be deployed to defend the island's most populous areas. At
least one such battery has gone into service.
There is increasing debate in the local media about whether Taiwan
should team up with the United States and Japan to develop the more advanced anti-missile
project known as TMD (Theatre Missile Defense).
Tang said the Defense Ministry would conduct a comprehensive and
careful evaluation of the cost and effectiveness of TMD.
Local media have said that over three years the military is expected to
pour some US$1 billion into the procurement of PAC III, part of the TMD project.
China has said any plans to integrate Taiwan into the TMD program would
violate three Sino-U.S. joint communiqués on arms sales to Taiwan.
The U.S. Congress has passed a resolution asking Taiwan, Japan and
South Korea to jointly finance the expensive project.
China launched ballistic missiles into shipping lanes off the island in
1996 as part of intimidatory war games. The crisis ended only after Washington moved two
carrier battle groups to waters near Taiwan.
( (c) 1998 Agence France Presse)
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