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DESTROYERS HELP BOOST TAIWAN MORALE: ROC DIPLOMAT

ROC Central News Agency

2005-11-04 17:24:10

    Washington, Nov. 3 (CNA) The delivery to Taiwan of two U.S.- made Kidd-class destroyers will boost the public's morale and help strengthen the country's defense capabilities, Republic of China Representative to the United Stated David Lee said Thursday.

    Speaking at a regular news briefing, Lee also said that the remarks made by a U. S. military leader regarding Taiwan's defense spending at the ceremony held in late October in Charleston, South Carolina to mark the refurbishment of the two destroyers, constructed in the late 1970s, reflected the U. S. government stance.

    Brig.-Gen. John Allen, director of Asian and Pacific Affairs, International Security Affairs of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, said that the two warships are a display of Taiwan's self-defense determination and a show of U.S. support for Taiwan.

    Allen also called on the people of Taiwan to push all political parties to collaborate and reach consensus on military spending for the sake of the country's security.

    According to Lee, Allen's remarks reflected U.S. stance, which is coherent and consistent, toward Taiwan's national security.

    Lee also suggested that the ROC military hold activities similar to those held in Charleston to celebrate the commissioning of the Kidd -class fleet in Taiwan to prop up public morale.

    The two destroyers, named the Keelung and the Suao, are on the way to their home base in Taiwan. They are scheduled to be commissioned in December at the port of Suao in the northeastern county of Ilan. The U.S. is slated to deliver two more Kidd-class warships in spring of 2007.

    Edward Ross, director of the Security Cooperation Operations under the Defense Security Cooperation Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, gave a speech at the 2005 U. S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference held in September in San Diego, saying that Taiwan must invest in its own defense amid a mounting threat from China.

    The senior Pentagon official said that the U. S. government, members of Congress and business people were increasingly questioning Taiwan's commitment to its own defense.

    The U.S. approved in 2001 a Taiwan military procurement package including eight diesel-electric submarines, 12 P-3C anti-submarine surveillance planes and six Patriot PAC-III anti-missile batteries.

    But the special budget for the arms deal has been repeatedly obstructed by the opposition and has failed to clear the floor at the Legislative Yuan.

(By Oliver Lin and Flor Wang)

ENDITEM/J