Russia may counter US ships in Taiwan Straits Monday, July 10, 2000 ASIA | Under the terms of a new "mini Sino-Russia pact," U.S. warships called to defend Taiwan during any cross-strait conflict with mainland China could face Russian Pacific Fleet warships, according to the Taiwan-based newspaper, the Straits Times. Taiwanese sources said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had "issued special instructions for the Russian military to be prepared" to intervene on Beijing's behalf against U.S. warships if war between China and Taiwan broke out. Quoting a Central News Agency report, the Times said, "When that happens, Russia's Pacific fleet will also step in to keep the US military force out of the region." The CNA is Taiwan's official state news agency. The move appears to be in response to a U.S. deployment of two aircraft carrier battle groups just outside of the Taiwan Straits in 1996, in response to China's test-firing of ballistic missiles in advance of Taiwan's first democratic presidential elections. The CNA said the agreement was reached by Putin and Chinese President Jiang Zemin after an hour-long meeting last Wednesday, the paper said. The report described the agreement as a "miniature Sino-Russian defense pact." The Putin-Jiang meeting came on the heels "of a five-nation summit of China, Russia and three Central Asian states held in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan," the report said. Both China and Russia view the U.S. as a regional threat in a post-Cold War world where Washington dominates foreign policy and influences the Southeast Asia region -- an area Beijing wishes to dominate instead. Meanwhile, other Taiwan media reports, citing Chinese official sources, said China and Russia have signed a five-year military cooperation pact worth up to US$20 billion. That agreement, the paper said, would last from 2000-2004, and "will reportedly see China acquiring high-technology naval and air military weapons and even taking part in the joint research and production of such weapons." A separate Agence France Presse report last Thursday said China had praised Russian efforts to maintain a landmark arms treaty in the face of US plans to build a national missile defense system. "China and Russia have already started cooperation in this regard and will continue to intensify cooperation in further maintaining the strategic balance in the world," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said at the ministry's briefing last week. "The level of strategic coordination between China and Russia has been constantly raised," Sun said. "We are fully capable of playing a more important role in opposing hegemony and power politics and promoting the multi-polarization of the world." http://www.usdefense.com/july2000/B/10/story4.htm <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
