Text: Sept. 15 Campbell Taiwan Testimony to House Committee
(U.S. to continue to support Taiwan defense)

United States policy is to assist Taiwan with its "legitimate defense needs," says a top Pentagon official, while pursuing "constructive engagement" with Beijing.

The Taiwan Security Enhancement Act -- H.R. 1838 -- that Congress is considering is unnecessary, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell told lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

The Department of Defense "opposes this legislation," Campbell said in prepared testimony before the House International Relations Committee September 15.

Campbell said the Clinton Administration is following policies that are complementary, though complex in its efforts to seek good relations with Beijing, while keeping strong ties with Taiwan.

"Our relationships with Taiwan and the PRC are likely to be among our most complex and important foreign policy challenges for many years to come," Campbell said.

The basis for U.S. policy, Campbell stressed, will remain the three Communiqu・ and Taiwan Relations Act. "These documents have served U.S. interests in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait for more than 20 years and remain the best framework for guiding U.S. policies into the future," Campbell said.

Clinton Administration policy regarding China and Taiwan was under scrutiny in a hearing of the House committee that was looking at ways to enhance the security of Taiwan after the recent crisis over Taiwan's suggestion that it have "state to state" relations with the Beijing regime.

Whenever Pentagon officials talk with their Chinese counterparts, Campbell told the representatives, "we make clear to (them) that we will continue to support Taiwan in its legitimate defense needs."

The Americans, Campbell said, tell Chinese officials that support of Taiwan's "legitimate defense needs" is "required by U.S. law," and also "serves the wider interests of peace and stability in the region."

The United States, he emphasized, has "made clear that we support only a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue."

Chinese officials are told that any attempt to "resolve the issue by other than peaceful means, or any other action that threatens regional stability," would be a matter of "grave concern to the United States," Campbell said.

The Pentagon official said it was a false dichotomy to say that any improvements in the U.S.-PRC bilateral relationship required a diminishing of U.S. ties with Taiwan. The two sets of relations, Campbell said, "are not zero-sum."

Improving ties with Beijing, Campbell said, would, instead, "serve to prevent possible misperceptions, enhance mutual trust and transparency, and promote restraint."

Taiwan, he pointed out, would be "a primary beneficiary of the regional peace and stability fostered by positive Washington-Beijing relations."

The United States holds to the view that "the Taiwan issue is for people on both sides of the Strait to resolve," Campbell said. "This remains the best approach and our policy must remain consistent in this regard," he said.

It is, Campbell said, "the only long-term guarantee of a peaceful and durable solution across the Taiwan Strait. It is also a necessary element in guaranteeing long-term peace and stability in East Asia," the Pentagon official said.

Following is the prepared statement of Dr. Kurt Campbell

(begin text)

Statement of Dr. Kurt Campbell
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for
International Security Affairs
Asian and Pacific Affairs
Before the House International Relations Committee
15 September 1999

Good afternoon Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee. Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you about the U.S.-Taiwan security relationship. It is especially important to address these issues now that we are well into the 20th year of the Taiwan Relations Act. In the interest of saving time to answer questions you may have, I respectfully request that the following statement be entered into record. I have prepared a brief statement that specifically addresses your interest in the security situation in the Taiwan Strait. (Oral text follows statement).

An overarching national security interest of the United States is preservation of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. United States policy with regard, to Taiwan and the PRC is an important aspect of this goal. We maintain our obligations toward Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act, not only because it is law but also because it is good policy. We have also pursued a constructive relationship with the PRC, also because it is good policy. These two approaches are complementary and support our interests that any resolution of differences between the PRC and Taiwan be peaceful and worked out directly between the two sides. A constructive dialogue between the PRC and Taiwan serves the interest of all the parties and is a major element in achieving long-term peace and stability in the Pacific.

Our commitment to peace and stability is further bolstered by the maintenance of approximately 100,000 U.S. troops in the region, a policy reaffirmed by Secretary Cohen in DOD's 1998 East Asia Strategy Report. There have been times when more than simple dialogue and presence have been necessary to maintain stability. America's enduring commitment is well known and widely appreciated throughout the region, and contributes to our overall approach to the cross-Strait issue. The deployment of two carrier battle groups to the western Pacific in response to provocative PRC missile tests in March 1996 was a visible demonstration of the U.S. commitment to preserve peace and stability.

U.S. Policy toward Taiwan

The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) of 1979 forms the legal basis of U.S. policy regarding the security of Taiwan. Its premise is that an adequate Taiwan defensive capability is conducive to maintaining peace and security as long as differences remain between Taiwan and the PRC. Section 2(b) states, in part, that it is the policy of the United States:

-- to consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States;

-- to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character; and

-- to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people of Taiwan.

Section 3 of the TRA also provides that the "United States will make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability." The Act further states that "the President and Congress shall determine the nature and quantity of such defense articles and services based solely upon their judgment of the needs of Taiwan, in accordance with procedures established by law." The TRA also asserts that a determination of Taiwan's needs "shall include review by United States military authorities in connection with recommendations to the President and Congress."

Let me also call attention to an aspect of the August 17, 1982, Joint Communiqu・between the United States and the People's Republic of China that is important to Taiwan's security. In this document, the PRC stated that its "fundamental policy" is "to strive for a peaceful resolution to the Taiwan question." Having in mind this policy and the anticipated reduction in the military threat to Taiwan, the 1982 Communiqu・outlined our intention to gradually reduce arms sales to Taiwan. At the time the Joint Communiqu・was issued, we made it clear that our intentions were premised upon the PRC's continued adherence to a peaceful resolution of differences with Taiwan.

China has deployed an increasing number of ballistic missiles in recent years. The United States urges restraint in PRC military operations and deployments opposite Taiwan and does not wish to see the development of an arms race in the region. The United States has abided by and will continue to abide by its commitments to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act. Similarly, we believe that Taiwan's security will also be enhanced as we work to improve relations with the PRC. In light of the on-going activity in the Taiwan Strait, we urge both sides to exercise caution and restraint as a means to minimize accidents and miscalculations.

The Taiwan Security Enhancement Act

Our unofficial security relationship with Taiwan will remain an important part of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We share the concerns that are reflected in many of the objectives in the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act. PLA modernization and a host of other factors could present Taiwan with an ever widening array of challenges in the coming years. We believe, however, that the Taiwan Relations Act provides a comprehensive basis for U.S. security cooperation with Taiwan and that the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act is unnecessary. Moreover, Taiwan's security rests not only on its defense posture but also on a continued, constructive cross-Strait dialogue.

We already are addressing many of the provisions outlined in the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act. For example, the Department of Defense has a program of exchanges with Taiwan focused on such areas as planning, training, C4I, air defense, ASW, and logistics.

These non-hardware exchanges serve multiple purposes. "Software" programs attempt to address many of the shortcomings in Taiwan military readiness that were identified in the February 1999 DOD Report to Congress on the Cross-Strait Security Situation. They allow Taiwan to better integrate newly acquired systems into their inventory. These initiatives provide an avenue to exchange views on Taiwan's requirements for defense modernization, to include professionalization, organizational issues, and training. Exchanges and discussions enhance our ability to assess Taiwan's longer-term defense needs and develop well-founded security assistance policies. Such exchanges also enhance Taiwan's capacity for making operationally sound and cost effective acquisition decisions.

We take very seriously our responsibility under the Taiwan Relations Act and have provided Taiwan with defense articles and services necessary for a self-sufficient defense capability. The U.S. has provided Taiwan with a range of advanced air defense systems, including E-2T airborne early warning aircraft, PATRIOT-derived Modified Air Defense Systems; HAWK and CHAPARRAL ground-based air defense systems; and F-16 air superiority fighters. We continue to examine means to enhance Taiwan's air defense capacity.

Our responsibilities under the Taiwan Relations Act include assisting Taiwan with countering surface and subsurface naval threats. The U.S. has provided Taiwan with Knox-class frigates; S-70C helicopters and modernized S-2T ASW aircraft. We are continuing to examine Taiwan's comprehensive ASW requirements. We have also provided Taiwan with systems to counter an amphibious landing, to include M-60A tanks and armed helicopters.

Taiwan's interest in theater missile defenses is driven by China's past actions and its theater missile build-up opposite Taiwan. Future Chinese actions can have an influence on U.S. decisions with regard to the provision of theater missile defenses to Taiwan. We do not preclude the possibility of Taiwan having access to theater missile defenses, but these decisions remain in the future when the technology is mature. Our decisions on this will be guided by the same basic factors that have shaped our decisions to date on the provision of other defensive capabilities to Taiwan. As noted previously, we believe that a cross-Strait dialogue that increases confidence-building measures is a critical ingredient to long-term stability across the Strait.

The Department of Defense's relationship with Taiwan is unofficial in nature. U.S. policy has been effective in promoting Taiwan security for the last 20 years. Senior DOD officials interact with their Taiwan military counterparts on a regular basis during unofficial visits to the United States. The Administration's policy regarding high-level visits to Taiwan is governed by the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review. We conduct responsible military interactions that are consistent with this 1994 Review within the context of the unofficial nature of our relationship with Taiwan.

U.S.-PRC Relations and Taiwan Security

In all our dialogues, we make clear to the PRC that we will continue to support Taiwan in its legitimate defense needs not only because it is required by U.S. law, but also because it serves the wider interests of peace and stability in the region. We also have made clear that we support only a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue, and regard any attempt to resolve the issue by other than peaceful means, or any other action that threatens regional stability to be of grave concern to the United States.

It is important to reiterate our belief that any improvements in the U.S.-PRC bilateral relationship are not zero-sum: they will not come at Taiwan's expense, but rather serve to prevent possible misperceptions, enhance mutual trust and transparency, and promote restraint. Taiwan will be a primary beneficiary of the regional peace and stability fostered by positive Washington-Beijing relations.

Ultimately, the U.S. position is that the Taiwan issue is for people on both sides of the Strait to resolve. This remains the best approach and our policy must remain consistent in this regard. Indeed, this is the only long-term guarantee of a peaceful and durable solution across the Taiwan Strait. It is also a necessary element in guaranteeing long-term peace and stability in East Asia.

Our relationships with Taiwan and the PRC are likely to be among our most complex and important foreign policy challenges for many years to come. Indeed, the global political and regional environment is very different today than at the time the three Communiqu・ and Taiwan Relations Act were formulated and implemented. Nonetheless, these documents have served U.S. interests in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait for more than 20 years and remain the best framework for guiding U.S. policies into the future.

The Taiwan Relations Act has succeeded in contributing to an extended period of peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and has promoted American interests in the western Pacific for twenty years. This legislation, along with the three communiqu・, has also secured the foundation for the complex political and security interactions among PRC, Taiwan and the United States. The Taiwan Security Enhancement Act is unnecessary. The Department of Defense opposes this legislation.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

(end text)

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