THE US has protested strongly to China over its missile tests near Taiwan in the run up to presidential elections on the island, the US Defence Secretary, Mr William Perry, said yesterday.
Mr Perry also told reporters that the US had "a substantial naval presence in the western Pacific". But US officials said there were no plans to move the aircraft carrier Independence into waters between China and Taiwan.
Mr Perry, Secretary of State Mr Warren Christopher, and White House National Security Adviser Mr Anthony Lake met on Thursday night with Mr Liu Huaqiu, the foreign affairs director of China's State Council.
"I believe the message which the President [Mr Clinton] has communicated and the message which we communicated at the dinner last night was very clear and very straightforward. I do not want to go beyond that", Mr Perry said when asked if China was warned the US stood ready to protect Taiwan.
Mr Perry answered questions from reporters about China's test firing on Thursday of three ballistic missiles into waters near Taiwan. He said he had told the Chinese that the tests, so close to Taiwan ahead of the March 23rd; presidential elections on the island, "could only be viewed as an act of coercion ...
"We have, of course, a substantial naval presence in the western Pacific. We always do," Mr Perry said. "In particular, we have within a few hundred miles of Taiwan a carrier, Independence. We have a guided missile cruiser an guided missile destroyer also nearby."
But a senior State Department official and defence officials told reporters privately they knew of no plans to move the Independence battle group, located some 320 km east of Taiwan, toward the Taiwan Strait.
Mr Perry said a US guided missile cruiser had witnessed the missile tests, which were announced by China. If one of the missiles had malfunctioned he said, parts of it could have landed on populated areas of Taiwan.
"I told the Chinese delegation that I thought the action that they took with these missile firings was reckless. I deplored that action and we made our position on that very clear," he said.
Taiwan's Defence Minister said the island would fight back if an attack violated its territorial waters.
"We will take countermeasures according to the situation at the time," said Mr Chiang Chungling.
China declined to confirm the guided missiles had been tested, but Taiwan's Defence Ministry said the three had landed in two sea "boxes", one 20 nautical miles off the north eastern port of Keelung and the other 30 nautical miles off south western Kaohisung port.
The Chinese President, Mr Jiang Zemin, said China would not halt its struggle against an independent Taiwan, a day after the Foreign Ministry said the tests were aimed at cowing the island's pretensions to international recognition.
"Our struggle will not for a single day so long as Taiwan authorities do not cease activities to split the motherland for a single day," Mr Jiang told deputies to the National People's Congress.
Mr Juang underlined China's determination not to abandon the threat of force to recover the islands.
The Chinese Foreign Minister, Mr Qian Qichen, earlier told the people of Taiwan not to panic.
Japan said it had sent a large patrol boat to the area to secure the safety of maritime navigation.