U.S. and Taiwan (2009)

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

News Transcript

Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell
March 25, 2009

DoD News Briefing with Geoff Morrell from the Pentagon

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Q: Does the Defense Department believe that China already today has the ability to deter, delay or deny any U.S. effort to come to Taiwan's aid in the event of a Chinese attack?

MR. MORRELL: Well, I'm going to let David Helvey, who's going to speak to you with greater clarity about this, I believe later today, address this.

But, I mean, I can speak to you generically about what this review has found.

This, as you know, is an annual assessment that is mandated by Congress. This one, as it's been described to me, it was a -- provides a very professional, factual description of what we see of the Chinese military. It provides some new details, some additional specificity, but there are no new major strategic insights revealed or capabilities revealed.

Of course, we acknowledge we can't see all, so we have advocated time and again for more dialogue and transparency in our dealings with the Chinese government and military, all in an effort to reduce suspicions on both sides. The objective is to give a clear -- the objective of this report is to give a clear and factual description of Chinese military capabilities. Our view of the -- of Chinese strategic intentions is largely analytic. Obviously, we don't have -- have clear insight into them because of the lack of transparency, so we have to infer, or deduce, if you will, speculate to some degree on what their intentions are.

But I think all -- the report will point to or will back up the call from the secretary, and now President Obama, for deeper, broader, more high-level contacts with the Chinese, more mid-level contacts, for that matter, more contacts, period, with the Chinese. The more dialogue, the more interaction we have, really at all levels of the military, the better chance we have to come to an understanding of what our intentions are, both from a military buildup perspective, force projection perspective, and so that we can reduce or hopefully eliminate the possibility of any misunderstanding or miscalculation between us.

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Q: In terms of Taiwan, is it solely defensive, as they claim, or could they make some kind of move at some point?

MR. MORRELL: Well, again, I'm going to have our expert speak to you about this. I mean, I think generally we've been pleased to see, with the change of leadership in Taiwan, a lessening of the tensions between -- across the straits. So that has been encouraging.

And so I think that the fact that Chinese -- the Chinese continue to build up their arsenal across the straits is somewhat confounding, given the fact there has been a lessening in tensions between the two governments post-the elections in Taiwan. But I'm going to let our expert speak to it, because I'm simply not equipped to go much beyond where I have with you already.

Yeah.

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Q: Can I ask, about initiatives to improve relations with the Chinese military and government, will this building be more -- (inaudible) -- scrutinizing any arms deal -- arms sale requests from the Taiwanese government, to ensure that they don't roil the Chinese -- our relations with China, that they are needed? Is that part of the mix at all?

MR. MORRELL: Not that I know of, but you can address that question when you get another briefing this afternoon.

All right? It seems like everybody's run out of steam. Thank you all.