STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL REAFFIRMS U.S. COMMITMENT TO TAIWAN San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 14 (CNA) A senior Bush administration official reaffirmed Friday that the U.S. policy towards Taiwan and mainland China has been consistent and never changed for the pa.

(From Central News Agency (Taiwan))

San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 14 (CNA) A senior Pentagon official has urged Taiwan to build an integrated air and missile defense capability in the face of ever-increasing threat from mainland China.

In a speech delivered at a Taiwan-U.S. defense industry conference being held in San Antonio, Richard Lawless, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific affairs, said it is imperative that Taiwan build upon its existing assets and acquire an integrated air and missile defense capability.

Noting that mainland China is arming itself to keep the U.S. military at bay in a crunch, Taiwan must not consider U.S. support "as a substitute for investing the necessary resources in its own defense."

"It is believed that surprise and speed will be used (by Beijing) to make any potential U.S. assistance to Taiwan -- in an unprovoked attack -- ineffective," Lawless said in a text made available by the Pentagon Friday. …