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China says welcomes visit by US defence secretary

Taiwan president says China has political aims with pact
Taipei (AFP) July 1, 2010 - Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou acknowledged Thursday that China had political goals in signing a sweeping trade pact with the island, but nevertheless defended the agreement. Ma said Beijing, which considers the island part of its territory, hoped to use the deal to further its aim of pulling the island closer into its orbit. "There is no denying that Beijing has political motives to do this," he said during a press conference following the signing of the deal in China on Tuesday. He did not go into details.

The new pact, known as the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, was seen as the boldest step yet towards reconciliation between the former arch foes, 60 years after a civil war drove them apart. The signing of the agreement, by far the most sweeping ever between the two sides, marked the culmination of a Beijing-friendly policy introduced by Ma after he assumed power in 2008. The anti-China opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has accused Ma of trading in Taiwan's sovereignty for the sake of the pact. But Ma insisted the perceived political element had been toned down by Taiwanese negotiators. "There is no political wording in the text of the agreement," he said.

He said that the pact, pending parliament's final approval, would have a profound impact on Taiwan, China and the region. "The agreement will be critical as it will help consolidate peace and prosperity for Taiwan.... What's more, it may spark structural changes economically for the entire Asia-Pacific region." Ma said he would press for free trade agreements with other countries in the region, now the agreement with China had been reached.
by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) July 1, 2010
China's military said Thursday it would welcome a future visit by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, state media reported, one month after a planned trip was called off.

"We still welcome him to visit China at a time which is workable for both sides," Xinhua news agency quoted General Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), as saying.

The apparent olive branch comes after Beijing called off a visit by Gates in early June amid military tensions between the two sides, with Gates saying the cancellation showed the PLA was reluctant to engage on defence issues.

The brief Xinhua report gave no other information.

China has denounced US arms sales to Taiwan unveiled in January, and the cancellation of Gates' trip appeared to fit a pattern of stepping back from exchanges with the American military to convey displeasure.

After his visit was cancelled, Gates suggested there was a rift between Chinese civilian and military leaders on the issue.

The US defence secretary said it was his "opinion that the PLA is significantly less interested in developing this relationship than the political leadership of the country".

Gates had planned to visit Beijing as part of an Asian tour.

China in January suspended all military exchanges in protest over the US arms sales to Taiwan, but some officials from the two sides have since met.

Last month, Gates said Beijing's stance "makes little sense", noting that such sales had been going for decades.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after Communist forces defeated the Nationalists in a civil war and took the mainland. Self-ruled Taiwan has since relied heavily on US military hardware to defend the island.

Gates said Washington would not alter its policy and argued that US weapons sales to Taiwan helped maintain regional peace given China's growing military buildup.

Another source of military tension between China and the United States has been the South China Sea, with Washington calling for unfettered access to the resource-rich area.

Beijing, which claims the sea as its own territorial waters, has increasingly asserted its sovereignty there.

Gates has said closer ties between the two nation's militaries are vital to avoid misunderstandings.



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