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U.S.-TAIWAN NATIONAL DEFENSE INDUSTRY CONFERENCE OPENS

ROC Central News Agency

2005-09-20 20:28:08

    Los Angeles, Sept. 19 (CNA) The fourth U.S.-Taiwan national defense industry conference opened in San Diego Monday, with more than 100 representatives from the United States and Taiwan attending.

    Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council, which sponsored the meeting, said that the two-day meeting is not directly related to Taiwan's arms procurement package from the United States.

    He was referring to the long-stalled package comprising 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.

    Taiwan's opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan has blocked the passage of the package for over a year because opposition lawmakers say the price is too high and that it should be listed under the regular budget rather than a special one.

    Hammond-Chambers said the annual meeting gathers think tank scholars, weapons researchers and specialists in military cooperation from the U.S. and Taiwan, as well as manufacturers from the U.S. defense industry, to allow them to understand each other's supply and demand.

    He noted that the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council is a non-government economic organization that will only play a liaison role based on the needs of the two countries, without interfering.

    Hammond-Chambers and Vans D. Coffman, vice president of the council, called on Huo Shou-yeh, Republic of China vice minister of national defense and head of the Taiwan delegation, right after the opening of the meeting to exchange views on issues involving defense procurement.

    Hammond-Chambers said that his duty was to convey to Huo the intentions of the U.S. defense industry soliciting business opportunities in the hope that the U.S. and Taiwan can maintain good supply and demand relations.

    Coffman said that although he concurrently serves as chairman of Lockheed Martin Co., he conveyed the hope of the U.S. defense industry for increased business opportunities to Huo in his capacity as vice president of the council.

    Meanwhile, Edward Ross, principal director of the Security Cooperation Operations under the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, criticised the progress of Taiwan's national defense budget.

    Ross took part in the meeting on behalf of Richard Lawless, U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense, who was unable to attend the conference because he was preoccupied with the six-party talks on North Korea.

    Ross lauded Minister of National Defense Lee Jye and his staff for meeting with legislators and communicating with them more than 170 times to attempt to facilitate the passage of a special budget to buy the arms.

    He claimed that since U.S. President George W. Bush approved the sale of the arms to Taiwan in April 2001, "nothing" has happened in nearly five years.

    The wrangling between the ruling and opposition parties has put the issue out of focus, he said, adding that it seems that political figures in Taiwan are enjoying the inter-party bickering and ignoring the real needs of Taiwan.

    He noted that the Taiwan government's investment in national defense is not as much as in other items, pointing out that expenditure in economic and social welfare items are in double-digit growth while the increase for national defense is limited.

    He said that if possible, he will appeal to the Taiwan people directly, because the matter involves the future wealth and security of the people. He added that he wants them to know that national security should involve political responsibility and that the Taiwan people should demand that the officials they elect take responsibility.

    He said that over the past year or two, he and Lawless have been confronted by U.S. congressmen, officials and entrepreneurs with the same question of why the U.S. should supply Taiwan with its defense needs if Taiwan has no intention of investing in its national defense.

    He said the gross domestic product (GDP) of Singapore is US$120 billion, and its national defense budget accounts for 5 percent of its GDP. In contrast, Taiwan's GDP is US$578 billion, but its defense budget only accounts for 2.4 percent of its GDP.

    He lauded President Chen Shui-bian's recent request that the defense ratio be raised to 3 percent of the GDP, although he predicted that this will not be accomplished by Chen alone.

    Ross said he is not advocating a cross-strait arms race, but reminded Taiwan that it should increase investment in its national defense so that it will be able to avoid the cross-strait status quo being changed.

(By L.S. Chu and Lilian Wu)

ENDITEM/J