Tracking Number: 240085
Title: "Sen Bentsen Urges F-16 Sale to Taiwan."
Senator Lloyd Bentsen's news release concerning the US ban on the sale of fighter aircraft to Taiwan. (920821)
Date: 19920821
Text:
*EPF508
08/21/92 *
SEN. BENTSEN URGES F-16 SALE TO TAIWAN
(Text: Bentsen news release 8/21) (580)
Washington -- Senator Lloyd Bentsen (Democrat of Texas), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, urged in a statement August 21 that the United States drop its ban on the sale of fighter aircraft to Taiwan.
Taiwan wants to pay over $5 billion to buy up to 180 F-16s, Bentsen said. The Cold War is over, the senator said, Taiwan is moving toward democracy; China is not. The Bush Administration should change its outdated policy so that Texas defense workers are not needlessly penalized, he said.
Following is the text of the statement:
(begin text)
Even though the Soviet Union disintegrated more than a year ago, outdated policies from the Cold War are still damaging our economy. This month they claimed more than 3,000 Texas jobs.
In early August, General Dynamics announced it was laying off 5,800 workers at its F-16 fighter aircraft plant in Fort Worth. At least 3,000 of those jobs could have been saved except for a U.S. government ban on the sale of F-16s to Taiwan.
Even though Taiwan wants to pay over $5 billion to buy up to 180 of the jets, this request and others like it have been denied to Taiwan over the past decades because of the administration's concern about offending communist China.
During the latter stages of the Cold War, mainland China was an important strategic counterweight to the USSR. It was felt to be in our national interest to reassure China of our support by denying Taiwan arms sales.
Today, however, the Soviet threat has dissolved. Communist China is one of the few remaining totalitarian regimes, and Taiwan is moving toward full scale democracy. As the world's 13th largest trading state with $84 billion in hard currency reserves, Taiwan wants these jets to modernize its obsolete air force. The Taiwanese have no illusions that their air force of less than 500 combat aircraft could threaten China's 5,000. If there ever was a dream sale, this is it.
Taiwan has stated its strong preference for F-16s. But in the face of repeated rejections from the United States, they are considering a $7.2 billion purchase of 120 French Mirage jet fighters. The deal with France would include the tie-in purchases of high-speed rail and nuclear power equipment valued at an additional $18 billion.
If the sale of F-16s remains blocked, Taiwan will still modernize its aircraft, France will reap the profits and jobs of a $25 billion sale and communist China will enjoy seeing its rival slighted. The only loser will be the United States and the American workers who lose jobs because the government stubbornly clings to worn-policies.
Now that the Soviet threat has disappeared, the United States is making major cuts in its defense budget. We're having to reorient many defense-related sectors of our economy to civilian high-tech manufacturing jobs. But hard-working Texas defense workers don't deserve to be penalized just because the administration insists on coddling communist leaders in Beijing.
The Cold War officially ended a little over a year ago and the time has come to reassess anachronistic Cold War policies that endanger thousands of American jobs. I will continue pressing the administration to change this outdated policy and permit the sale of Texas made F-16s to Taiwan.
(end text)
NNNN
File Identification: 08/21/92, EP-508
Product Name: Wireless File
Product Code: WF
Keywords: BENTSEN, LLOYD; TAIWAN-US RELATIONS; ARMS TRANSFERS; TAIWAN/Defense &
Military; MILITARY AIRCRAFT; MILITARY TECHNOLOGY
Document Type: TXT
Thematic Codes: 1EA
Target Areas: EA
PDQ Text Link: 240085
USIA Notes:
*92082108.EPF
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