Taiwan still source of US-China tension

Updated June 25, 2009 20:46:12

China and the United States have hailed defence talks in the Chinese capital as a step forward in mutual understanding.

Both sides have agreed to meet again next month, amid several unresolved issues. China urged the US to cancel a planned US 6.5 billion dollar arms sale to Taiwan, saying it's the greatest obstacle to Sino-American relations. The Chinese and US navies were also involved in a series of incidents this year, triggering US accusations of "aggressive" Chinese behavior in international waters.

Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Brad Glosserman, the Pacific Forum, CISIS

GLOSSERMAN: It won't happen, there's a fundamental difference in perspective egarding Taiwan from Beijing and American eyes. And for the Chinese purposes the argument quite simply is that they see that the United States by continuing to sell arms to the island is essentially either supporting the independence movement, which it isn't, or is bolstering the resistance of Taiwanese to unification, and consequently and most importantly that the US is interfering in domestic politics. From the American perspective it's very simple, we have a commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to help Taiwan defend itself. Secondly, and most importantly, the mindset in the United States is that that Taiwan by selling weapons to Taiwan to defence itself mind you, that Taiwan has the confidence then to proceed with negotiations on a mutually acceptable solution, mutually meaning both sides of the Taiwan Strait about their future. Taiwan wants to go forward feeling confident about what its options are, whereas China wants to cut them off. And that's the very, very fundamental difference in perspectives between the two.

LAM: Indeed and you mentioned the Taiwan Relations Act, which of course compels the US to protect Taiwan or help protect it. Is that likely to be a huge stumbling block in military to military ties that confidence building measures might be very difficult because of this?

GLOSSERMAN: Well the bigger issue of course is the suspicion between China and the United States and policy towards Taiwan becomes an expression of that suspicion. And so the sales are going to continue and every time there is a sale the Chinese would back themselves into the corner in such a way that they're going to have to protest. And unfortunately the mil talks are usually where the Chinese feel most is the simplest to cut off. And while that's perhaps true from their perspective it's also potentially the most dangerous because as you mentioned in your lead-up that there are other issues involving the two militaries that create potentials for clashes, and we need to have communications open.

LAM: Indeed and one of those issues is the fact that the two navies seem to continuously have these incidents at sea involving their vessels. Now did the US navy this year infringe on China's territory?

GLOSSERMAN: No, what we're dealing with again is a very fundamental difference in interpretation about the law of the sea and the rights of various states and what are called EEZ's, Exclusive Economic Zones, which extend a considerable distance out from the shoreline. And quite simply the law of the sea allows, balances two sets of priorities; one is that is of course the rights of the states that control, have sovereignty over these waters if you will, to control the exploitation which occurs within those waters, exploitation. The second set of rights and principles pertain to states that want to have navigation through those seas, and quite simply what the United States is doing irritates the Chinese because it's conducting surveillance, it's trying to map the ocean floor and that doesn't make the Chinese happy, but the fact is it's legal.