AN EMB120 FLC RECEIVED A TCASII RA FROM A REGIONAL JET CLBING WITH A VISUAL SEPARATION RESTR NEAR PSK.

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WE WERE CRUISING AT 16000 FT WHEN ATC NOTIFIED A JET OF OUR POS. THE JET ACKNOWLEDGED HE HAD US IN SIGHT. ATC THEN CALLED OUT THE JET TFC TO US; WHICH I HAD IN SIGHT AT MY 1 O'CLOCK POS BOTH VISUALLY AND ON MY TCASII. I ACKNOWLEDGED I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. IT WAS 1000 FT BELOW US ACCORDING TO MY TCASII. ATC THEN CLRED THE JET TFC TO CLB TO FL230 AND MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH US. I CONTINUED TO WATCH THE TFC OUTSIDE WHEN SECONDS LATER I GOT A TA FOLLOWED BY AN RA TELLING US TO CLB. I BEGAN TO CLB. BY THIS TIME THE CAPT WAS BACK WITH ME TELLING ME TO INCREASE MY CLB; WHICH I DID. AT THE SAME TIME THE CAPT ALERTED ATC THAT WE WERE REACTING TO A TCASII RA AND CLBING THROUGH 17000 FT. BY THE TIME THE TCASII TOLD US TO 'MONITOR VERT SPD' AND WE LEVELED OFF; WE WERE AT 17600 FT. JUST PRIOR TO LEVELOFF; THE JET TFC PASSED RELATIVELY CLOSE BENEATH OUR NOSE. WHEN THE TCASII RPTED 'CLR OF CONFLICT' WE PROCEEDED TO DSND BACK TO 16000 FT. DURING OUR REACTION TO THE RA; ATC INQUIRED AS TO WHY WE WERE REACTING AS HE FELT THERE WAS GOING TO BE ADEQUATE SEPARATION. AFTER THE INCIDENT; THE PLT OF THE JET EXPLAINED THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO CLB ABOVE US BUT DIDN'T REALIZE OR KNOW THEY HAD SET OFF OUR TCASII. HE DEDUCED THAT AS THEY INCREASED THEIR CLB TO GET ABOVE; OUR TCASII WAS TELLING US TO INCREASE OUR CLB; SO WE WERE IN ESSENCE TRYING TO OUT-CLB EACH OTHER. HE APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCIDENT. WE ALSO EXPLAINED OUR SIDE OF THE STORY. SOLUTION: IF ATC HAS TO CLB AN ACFT IN THE VICINITY OF OTHER TFC; EITHER 1) HOLD THEM AT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT TILL SAFETY CLR OF THE TFC; OR 2) CLR THE ACFT TO CLB AND DO IT EXPEDITIOUSLY; DUE TO THE 'TFC.' ALSO; IF AN ACFT IS GIVEN A TA THEN CLRED TO CLB VISUALLY; THAT ACFT IS NOT JUST OBLIGATED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION BUT TO ALSO STAY WELL CLR OF THAT TFC. THERE IS PLENTY OF AIRSPACE; WE DON'T HAVE TO SEE HOW CLOSE WE CAN GET TO OTHER AIRPLANES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 455085: LEVEL AT 15000 FT AT NIGHT; ATC CALLED CONFLICTING TFC AT 16000 FT AND WE RPTED TFC IN SIGHT. ATC ADVISED MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION; CLB TO FL230. I DETERMINED AN EXPEDITED CLB THROUGH 16000 FT WOULD PROVIDE SAFE SEPARATION AND EXECUTED CLB. I EXPECTED A TCASII ADVISORY BUT WAS SURPRISED WHEN AN RA WAS RECEIVED. I WAS EVEN MORE SURPRISED THAT THE TFC APPEARED TO BE CLBING AT A RAPID RATE. VISUAL SEPARATION (ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT) IS NOT AN EASY TASK. THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT I COULD MAINTAIN SAFE SEPARATION FROM TFC. BUT BECAUSE I DID NOT CONSIDER HOW THIS VISUAL CLB WOULD AFFECT TCASII; I WAS WRONG. AS A RESULT OF THIS SIT; I FEEL THAT ENRTE VISUAL SEPARATION AT NIGHT IS AN UNSAFE SIT AND WILL NEVER AGAIN RELY ON IT FOR SEPARATION. ALSO; I FEEL ATC SHOULD USE MORE DISCRETION IN ISSUING THIS CLRNC -- ESPECIALLY TO OBVIOUS CONFLICTING TARGETS.