U.S. STILL PONDERING SALE OF SUBS TO TAIWAN: SPOKESMAN
Washington, Nov. 18 (CNA) The U.S. government is still pondering
the plan of selling submarines to Taiwan and is continuing to discuss
related matters with Taiwan, albeit it needs some time to finalize
details of the plan, a State Department official said Tuesday.
Washington will continue to help Taiwan fulfill its reasonable
needs for self-defense based on the United States' responsibility
stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act, State Department deputy
spokesman Adam Eveli said.
Eveli's speech marks the first statement from any State
Department official concerning the U.S. selling of the submarines to
Taiwan since American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairwoman Therese
Shaheen reportedly said Nov. 15 that she felt Taiwan was "silly" to
buy submarines. The remarks have caused controversy ripples through
Taiwan over the past several days.
The U. S. top liaison official with Taiwan also said in her
speech delivered to a Taiwan association in Washington, D.C., Nov. 15
that Taiwan is more in need at the moment of beefing up its C4ISR
(command, control, communications, computer, intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance) capabilities, rather than purchasing
conventional submarines.
According to political observers in Washington, although the
State Department has continued to argue that the U.S. policy on
selling submarines to Taiwan remains unchanged, relevant U.S.
officials have suggested since this past summer that Taiwan need not
place the submarine procurement plan as a top priority.
Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng said in Washington after
meeting with U.S. officials in June that he was told that beefing up
the island's C4ISR capabilities should be the top priority in its
efforts to strengthen its national defense.
Wang quoted the U.S. officials as having said that the proposed
eight diesel-powered submarines would not be available until after
2014 and that they are too costly. Besides, the U.S. officials said
the anti-submarine capability of the eight submarines would need to
be assessed, according to Wang.
The political observers said Shaheen's remarks are basically in
line with the current U.S. policy.
In Taipei, Minister of National Defense Tang Yiau-min said
Tuesday that it is Taiwan's own business to decide on the kinds of
weapons that the country wants for its combat needs.
"What kind of weapons we want to buy is the business of the
Republic of China, and not the business of the selling party, " Tang
said.
He noted that Taiwan has wanted to buy submarines since 1993 and
that the Ministry of National Defense's 10-year, NT$700 billion
(US$20.58 billion) arms procurement project is based on the
assessment of the military threat from the other side of the Taiwan
Strait. The submarines, he said, are needed as a strategic deterrent.
Meanwhile, a Ministry of National Defense official also said
Tuesday that the ministry hopes to complete the submarine procurement
deal by the middle of next year.
In a robust arms sales package to Taiwan unveiled in April 2001,
the United States agreed to sell Taiwan eight conventional
submarines. However, the two sides have not yet struck a formal deal
on the procurement plan.
(By Jay Chen and Deborah Kuo)
ENDITEM/Li
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