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U.S.-Taiwan War Games Plan Worries China
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BEIJING (AP) - The United States risks hurting relations with China by participating in annual war games in Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Friday.
China has demanded an end to ``all military interaction between the United States and Taiwan,'' the Foreign Ministry said in a faxed response to a question from The Associated Press.
It said such interaction ``brings harm to China-U.S. relations.''
Taiwan's China Times newspaper reported Thursday that officers from the U.S. Pacific Command will be present in Taipei during drills later this year.
It would mark the first time U.S. military personnel have participated directly in Taiwanese exercises since Washington withdrew its military presence from the island in 1979, when it established diplomatic relations with China and broke off official ties with Taiwan.
China and Taiwan split in 1949. Beijing considers the island to be part of its territory and has threatened to attack it to assert control.
Military ties between Taiwan and the United States have expanded since President Bush took office. Bush has said he would do whatever it took to help defend the island.
According to the newspaper report, U.S. officers will help the Taiwanese conduct a computer-simulated war by providing intelligence about Chinese troops. The annual exercises, whose exact date has not yet been announced, are usually highly scripted drills that involve computer-simulated warfare and live-fire drills.
Taiwanese officials refused to confirm the newspaper report of the exercises. A U.S. spokesman in Taiwan, Robert Howes, issued a statement saying the United States regularly ``consult with Taiwan on its defense requirements'' but would not discuss details.
China has demanded an end to ``all military interaction between the United States and Taiwan,'' the Foreign Ministry said in a faxed response to a question from The Associated Press.
It said such interaction ``brings harm to China-U.S. relations.''
Taiwan's China Times newspaper reported Thursday that officers from the U.S. Pacific Command will be present in Taipei during drills later this year.
It would mark the first time U.S. military personnel have participated directly in Taiwanese exercises since Washington withdrew its military presence from the island in 1979, when it established diplomatic relations with China and broke off official ties with Taiwan.
China and Taiwan split in 1949. Beijing considers the island to be part of its territory and has threatened to attack it to assert control.
Military ties between Taiwan and the United States have expanded since President Bush took office. Bush has said he would do whatever it took to help defend the island.
According to the newspaper report, U.S. officers will help the Taiwanese conduct a computer-simulated war by providing intelligence about Chinese troops. The annual exercises, whose exact date has not yet been announced, are usually highly scripted drills that involve computer-simulated warfare and live-fire drills.
Taiwanese officials refused to confirm the newspaper report of the exercises. A U.S. spokesman in Taiwan, Robert Howes, issued a statement saying the United States regularly ``consult with Taiwan on its defense requirements'' but would not discuss details.
