At his confirmation hearing before the Senate armed services committee March 8. U.S. Navy Adm. Timothy Keating warned that as China increases its military spending, the United States needs to keep a watchful eye over Taiwan. Keating has been named by President Bush as the next military commander of the Pacific region to replace Adm. William Fallon, who has been nominated to be the next top commander in the Middle East.
The admiral emphasized that the United States should be prepared to step in to protect Taiwan should the need occur, even though some members of Congress have warned that Taiwan has sometimes gone out of its way to provoke a hostile confrontation with China in an attempt to declare independence from the Communist state. At the same time, however, Keating pointed out that while China may be jacking up its military spending, it still remains well behind the United States in terms of technology. The admiral said that the United States should keep close military ties with China, including holding joint exercises. (Source: Shihoko Goto, United Press International, Mar 10, 2007).