TAIPEI, Taiwan, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian Wednesday offered to cut the island's troops by 100,000 to ease military tensions with mainland China.
Chen said Taiwan would trim its current 380,000 troops to a smaller, elite force by 2008. He also said Taiwan would commit to not developing nuclear, biological or chemical arms, and asked mainland China to commit to not developing or using such weapons, the South China Morning Post reported Thursday.
Chen was speaking in a televised address during a national security conference in Taipei. He also called on Beijing to engage in talks with Taipei to create a military buffer zone in order to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Analysts said the United States was behind Chen's latest peace overture, in an effort to calm Beijing's fears that Taiwan is moving toward a formal declaration of independence from China.
Chen also said he was willing to discuss direct passenger and cargo transport between Taiwan and the mainland.
