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U.S. Navy ships to sail near Taiwan

U.S.S. Independence

Officials call Chinese military moves 'reckless'

March 10, 1996
Web posted at: 3:00 p.m. EST

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States is moving a naval force close to Taiwan as a warning to China not to "miscalculate" the American resolve as China conducts war games in the waters off of Taiwan, officials said Sunday.

China announced this weekend it will carry out eight days of air and sea exercises with live ammunition in the Taiwan Strait starting Tuesday. This follows missile tests by the Chinese off Taiwan's coast on Friday.

The actions have escalated tensions between China and Taiwan, which is holding a presidential election March 23.



"If they attack Taiwan, there will be grave consequences."

-- Anthony Lake, national security adviser

"We will be moving our naval assets to the area to make sure that we can avoid any miscalculation by the Chinese," said National Security Adviser Anthony Lake. "I would prefer not to go into operational detail, but I would not assume that it's into the straits."

"If they (the Chinese war games) get out of hand, if there are accidents, then they will be held accountable." Lake told reporters. "We have also said that if they attack Taiwan, there will be grave consequences."

Warren Christopher

Secretary of State Warren Christopher said Sunday that the U.S.S. Independence aircraft carrier group would be moved "somewhat closer to Taiwan in future days." But he did not say if the Independence would attempt to sail in the strait.

Christopher called the missile firings and the live-fire exercises "risky" and "reckless." (157K AIFF sound or 157K WAV sound)

"They constitute a sort of intimidation and coercion," Christopher said. He said the naval movements will show the Chinese how gravely the U.S. views any hostile action toward Taiwan. (171K AIFF sound or 171K WAV sound)

Madeleine Albright, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said the United States does not expect anything "grave" to happen, but, "If it does, we will see it as a very serious action."

Pentagon sources said the Independence has been joined this weekend by the U.S.S. Hewitt, a guided-missile destroyer, and the U.S.S. McCloskey, a guided-missile frigate that left port in Yokosuka, Japan, on Friday.

The Independence has been steaming in the East China Sea area between Taiwan and Okinawa for the last four or five days. The sources said the ships can't get much closer to Taiwan than they already have.

The Independence has been sailing with the guided-missile cruiser U.S.S. Bunker Hill, which was in position to track the recent Chinese missile launches with its sophisticated "spy-one" radar, and the frigate U.S.S. O'Brien.

The military exercises and missile firings effectively closed the strait to commercial shipping. Pentagon sources told CNN that any attempt to "reinforce the right of free passage" through the Taiwan Strait would not happen until after the announced missile tests by China end, after March 20 or so.

Pentagon officials note that the U.S.S. Nimitz aircraft carrier battle group went through the Taiwan Strait last December. The Navy's explanation at the time was that the battle group was trying to avoid bad weather and heavy seas on its primary route.

Navy sources said it is not possible to conduct air operations off a carrier in the strait, because of cluttered civilian air lanes. Therefore, the United States wouldn't routinely send a carrier into those waters.

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