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American Morning

Chinese Foreign Ministry Objects to U.S. Arms Sales to Taiwan

Aired April 24, 2001 - 10:26   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: After months of public debate and inner circle discussions, the Bush administration today is offering Taiwan its largest arms sale package in a decade. The offer sidesteps a potential diplomatic land mine. It withholds the sophisticated Aegis defense system that had ignited China's anger and drawn its stern warnings.

Chinese White House correspondent Kelly Wallace joins us now live with more on what's happening.

Hi, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Kyra.

Well, a Taiwanese delegation will be visiting the Pentagon today to learn exactly what weapons the U.S. is willing to sell. As you mentioned, the most robust package offered to Taiwan since President Bush's father was in the White House in the early 1980s. Already, though, the Chinese are sounding out, criticizing this decision, saying it could damage U.S.-China relations.

But just moments ago, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer telling reporters that the president believed this was "the wise and proper course to take to respond and deal with Taiwan's legitimate defense needs."

As you mentioned, though, the decision coming under the most scrutiny, Mr. Bush's decision not to sell, at least for now, destroyers equipped with the state-of-the-art radar system known as Aegis. The White House, though, definitely sending a message to Beijing, at the same time Mr. Bush telling aides he'd like to revisit this decision in about a year or two and that he could go forward with a sale if China goes ahead and adds to its already 300 ballistic missiles already pointed towards Taiwan.

Now, here is a list, a shopping list of what the U.S. is offering to Taiwan. Number one, four 1970s vintage Kidd-class destroyers equipped with upgraded radar systems; eight diesel-powered submarines, which the Chinese view as offensive weapons; 12 P-3 sub hunting surveillance planes, mine-sweeping helicopters and submarine- and surface-launched Harpoon missiles.

Now, conservatives in the Congress had been urging the Bush administration to give Taiwan everything it wanted, including the Aegis radar system, in part to punish China after detaining the U.S. crew members for 11 days. Still, though, publicly at least, Republicans in the Congress seem to be supporting Mr. Bush's decision to defer but not deny the Aegis radar system to the Taiwanese.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JON KYL (R), ARIZONA: So long as it's clear to the Chinese that continued hostility and belligerence on their part could provoke the sale of more and more arms to Taiwan, I don't think they want that, and that should suggest to them the kind of behavior that they have to engage in to avoid that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: But some Democratic lawmakers are criticizing President Bush. House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt in a statement saying, "With the sizeable buildup of military forces on the mainland side of the Taiwan Strait, I have serious questions regarding the Bush administration's decision not to provide destroyers equipped with advanced command and control systems to Taiwan."

Now, the White House is saying the president's decision had nothing to do with the recent stand-off with Beijing over the crew members and the American surveillance plane, senior officials saying the president approached this in a "measured way" and to deal with what the U.S. is saying is a tilted military imbalance in favor of China.

Still, though, as we mentioned, the Chinese not happy. And so following the stand-off, this decision likely to contribute to tense U.S.-Chinese relations -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: All right, Kelly Wallace live from the White House, thanks so much.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, as Kelly just said, China has not been happy about all of this. But that country has issued a somewhat subdued response to the military arms package. A spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry nearly expressed, quoting here, "serious concerns" about that package. She also said that China reserves the right to respond, but did not elaborate any further on that.

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