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Taiwan will continue to purchase U.S. arms: President Ma

ROC Central News Agency

2013/08/23 11:23:13

Kinmen, Aug. 23 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou said Friday his administration will continue to procure weapons from the United States to safeguard national security.

"Although tensions across the Taiwan Strait have gradually eased and cross-strait relations are now the most peaceful in more than six decades, we still cannot afford to be lax in terms of combat readiness," Ma said at a ceremony on the outlying island of Kinmen.

The president arrived in Kinmen earlier in the day for a ceremony to mark the 55th anniversary of an artillery battle between the Republic of China military and communist Chinese forces.

Ma said he had determined that recent media report of a plan by American and Chinese defense officials to set up a joint task force to deal with issues of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan was not true.

"That conclusion was reached after checking the report through different channels," the president added.

Ma said the United States issued Six Assurances in 1982, in which it promised not to set a date for termination of arms sales to Taiwan and not to consult with China before making decisions about U.S. arms deals with Taiwan.

Touting his administration's efforts to improve relations with China over the past five years, Ma said cross-strait relations are now at their most peaceful.

"But it does not mean that our country is free of security threats," he said. "We must not relax our combat readiness and will continue to purchase U.S.-built weapons that we still cannot produce on our own."

Chinese media reported earlier this week that the U.S. Department of Defense had given a "positive response" to a proposal by Beijing for the formation of special joint panel to address major stumbling blocks to U.S.-China military ties, especially U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

When asked to comment on the report Thursday, Jen Psaki, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, said there is no change to the United States' policy on arms deals with Taiwan.

"Consistent with U.S. commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the United States makes available to Taiwan defense articles and services necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability," Psaki said during a daily press briefing.

"We believe this longstanding policy contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," she added.

The TRA, the U.S. law regulating relations with Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, stipulates that the U.S. is obligated to provide Taiwan with arms necessary to defend itself.

(By Chen Shou-kuo and Sofia Wu)