Thu, Jul 21, 2005 page8

• Editorial: Pentagon's warning no surprise

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  People's Liberation Army Major General Zhu Chenghu (朱成虎) shocked foreign correspondents in Beijing last week when he said that China could use nuclear weapons against the US in the event of any military conflict with the US over Taiwan, adding that "we Chinese will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all cities east of Xian. Of course, the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese."

  Although Zhu's belligerent tone has drawn US condemnation, Beijing has yet to respond except to say that "Zhu was merely expressing his personal views." It is hardly surprising that in an authoritarian nation such as China, soldiers should seek to stand out by their hawkish views. The Chinese leadership is apparently reluctant to condemn Zhu's words because he is simply expressing their own thoughts. It is also hard to imagine that he spoke out without official approval.

  It is understandable that both Taiwan and the US were stunned by Zhu's remarks, for democratic societies do not tolerate a military officer exceeding his authority in such a way. The duty of a soldier is to remain neutral and steer clear of politics. If Zhu had been a soldier in a democratic country, he would have been severely criticized and probably would have suffered professionally.

  Zhu's comments were typical of the Chinese military, indicating the haughty and bellicose nature of the PLA. The rising jingoism in China in recent years has gone hand-in-hand with its military expansion. This has warned the whole world that China's so-called "peaceful rising" is anything but that.

  It is no surprise, therefore, that a Pentagon report published on Tuesday in Washington affirmed the rapid pace of China's military expansion. The report said that China now has between 650 and 730 CSS-6 and CSS-7 short-range missiles targeting Taiwan, and that the number is increasing by around 100 every year. This alone is frightening, quite apart from the expansion in other areas.

  This high level of military expansion shows us that Zhu's statement is anything but an isolated incident or the opinion of just one officer. There are probably thousands of people in the PLA whose thinking is identical to Zhu's -- he's just the one who spoke publicly.

  The threat that China now poses is an issue that Taiwan and its neighbors need to resolve. In fact, it concerns countries around the world. The EU certainly must take a more responsible attitude in its considerations over whether to lift its arms embargo on China. It should stop focusing on the commercial benefits of lifting the ban and do the responsible thing to help ensure regional peace in Asia and the rest of the world.

  As for the pan-blue camp, its members have simply buried their heads in the sand as far as China's military threat is concerned. Although they have long refused to face reality, hopefully pressure from the US and other nations will convince its leaders to greenlight passage of the long-delayed special arms purchase bill.

  In the face of China's military threat, Taiwan has no choice but to acquire the means to defend itself effectively. It must not always count so heavily on the aid of its allies.
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