Party spokesman Chang Jung-kung said that apart fromtaking care of its own defense needs, Taiwan had to seekpeace with China through negotiations. He did notelaborate. The Pentagon report said the short-term focus of China'smilitary is to prepare for potential conflict in the TaiwanStrait. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and hasthreatened to invade if the self-ruled, democratic islanddeclares formal independence or resists Beijing'sinsistence on negotiating unification. The two sides split amid civil war in 1949. The United States, Taiwan's main arms supplier, hascautioned the sides not to force a change in the statusquo, fearing that it might be dragged into an armedconfrontation in the western Pacific. Chen and Chinese leaders often trade harsh words, withBeijing accusing the Taiwanese leader of moving the islandcloser to formal independence. Earlier this year, China feted three Taiwanese oppositionleaders who support eventual unification with the mainland. Taiwan has been trying for months to pass a specialappropriation bill to finance a US$15.3 billion armspackage from the United States, but theopposition-controlled Legislature has balked, calling themeasure unnecessary and too expensive for the island toafford.--SPA1253 Local Time 0953 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/278233