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Bills pushing F-16 sale to Taiwan clear U.S. congressional committee

ROC Central News Agency

2011/11/18 11:44:15

By Jay Chou and Y.F. Low

Washington, Nov. 17 (CNA) A U.S. congressional committee on Thursday adopted two bills pushing for the sale of new F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan and closer ties with the country.

The bills will be referred to the full House of Representatives for a vote, following its passage through the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The Taiwan Airpower Modernization Act requires the U.S. government to sell no fewer than 66 F-16 C/Ds to Taiwan.

In addition to urging the arms sale, the Taiwan Policy Act also seeks to add Taiwan to the U.S. visa waiver program, permit senior Taiwan leaders to meet with U.S. officials in all executive branches, and push for a comprehensive extradition agreement and a free trade agreement between the two sides.

Committee Chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a co-author of the bills, said the Taiwan Policy Act is built on the firm foundation laid by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 and will serve to "move relations between the peoples of the United and Taiwan to new levels in the areas of security, trade, and international travel."

Ros-Lehtinen described as "regrettable and short-sighted" a decision by the administration of President Barack Obama in September to upgrade Taiwan's existing F-16 A/B fleet, instead of selling the country the more advanced F-16 C/Ds.

"Taiwan needs those F-16s and she needs them now to defend the skies over the Taiwan Strait," she said, pointing to growing evidence of China's increasing military threat to Taiwan.

She said the bills will help ensure that Taiwan's peace, prosperity and security will be maintained for the next three decades and beyond.

Ed Royce, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and an active member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, said the Taiwan Policy Act is "an important rebuke to those pushing an 'abandon Taiwan' theory."

"Moving forward this bill today -- demonstrating our broad commitment to Taiwan -- pours cold water over such naive thinking," Royce said.

Observers, however, said the bills' significance is more symbolic than substantive because they are likely to stall in the Senate.

Similar legislation was introduced in the Senate in September but has made no progress since.