NO INFORMATION ON CHANGES IN U.S. ARMS DEAL: DEFENSE MINISTER
ROC Central News Agency
2005-10-05 18:48:53
Taipei, Oct. 5 (CNA) Defense Minister Lee Jye said Wednesday that the government has not received any information indicating that the United States might change its arms deal with Taiwan.
Lee was responding to a Japan Times report in which William J. Fallon, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, is said to have urged Taiwan to forgo high-tech offensive weapons, including the diesel-electric submarines that Washington offered to sell Taiwan.
Fallon instead encouraged Taiwan to acquire more defensive weapons such as defensive missiles, mines and helicopters, according to the report.
Lee speculated to lawmakers during a National Defense Committee session at the Legislative Yuan that the United States is worried that hi-tech weapons it sells to Taiwan would be obtained by China after Taiwan unifies with China.
Washington also fears Taiwan might lack the resolve to defend itself in light of the delay in the passage of the budget for its NT$480 billion arms procurement package from the United States, according to Lee.
He said such fear is unwarranted because Taiwan has purchased armaments such as long-range early warning radar and Kidd-class destroyers from the United States, although the procurement of the submarines, anti-submarine aircraft and anti-missile systems is still pending legislative approval.
(By Y.F. Low)
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