U.S. CONGRESSMEN TO VISIT OVER ARMS PROCUREMENT PACKAGE
ROC Central News Agency
2005-09-17 15:46:42
Washington, Sept. 16 (CNA) A group of U.S. congressmen has tentatively decided to visit Taiwan next month to exchange views with government officials and legislators on the country's long-stalled arms procurement package from the United States.
U.S. Congressman Rob Simmons (R.- Conn.) is arranging the delegation, which will mainly comprise members of the Committee on Armed Forces of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The delegation will come for Double Ten National Day celebration activities on Oct. 10 and will meet with legislators to discuss national security.
The congressman originally hoped that Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou would help solve differences within the opposition "pan-blue alliance" of the KMT and its ally, the People First Party, and work toward early passage of the arms procurement package.
Ma recently turned down an invitation from the Taiwan Caucus -- a pro-Taiwan group in the U.S. House of Representatives -- to visit Washington, D.C. in September to explain the opposition camp's opposition.
However, Ma said that he and the KMT caucus will ensure that Taiwan's defensive capability is strengthened and that relations between the U.S. and Taiwan are further cemented.
Taiwan's opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan blocked the package for the 28th time earlier this week, refusing to allow it to be put on the legislative agenda.
The package comprises three big-ticket weaponry items -- eight diesel-electric submarines, a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft and six Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries. For more than a year, the "pan-blue alliance" has refused to screen the package because it claims the price is too high and that it should be listed under the regular budget rather than a special budget.
(By Wennie Chi and Lilian Wu)
ENDITEM/J
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
