US brigadier-general's visit to Taiwan to mark breakthrough: Presidential

[dArKeR]

US brigadier-general's visit to Taiwan to mark breakthrough: Presidential Office
By Lin Chieh-yu
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Jun 03, 2004,Page 2

US Brigadier-General John Allen, principal director of Asia and Pacific Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, will visit Taiwan next month to discuss military cooperation and defense plans, a source at the Presidential Office told the Taipei Times yesterday.

Allen's visit would mark a breakthrough as it would be the first time an active US general has paid an official visit to Taiwan since the US severed diplomatic ties with the country in 1978.

The Ministry of National Defense and the American Institute in Taiwan, however, said they did not know anything about Allen's visit.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/06/03/2003158031

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1. US criticizes China's military buildup

The US considers the Chinese military buildup as destabilizing, according to the spokesman for the US Department of State.

"We do see the military buildup and missile deployment as destabilizing," spokesman Richard Boucher said during a regular press briefing on Tuesday.

"We've said that publicly as well, because it's a situation that is of importance to us and concern to us. We want to see peaceful resolution, we don't want to see coercion. And we want to be quite clear on that," Boucher noted.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/06/03/2003158035

[fabius]

2. Good. We need to support Taiwan.

I don't want to see us roll over and let the Chinese get away with anything, but unfortunately Bush has our armed forces overcommitted.