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U.S. COMMANDER SAYS HE HAS NEVER OPPOSED SUB SALE TO TAIWAN

ROC Central News Agency

2005-11-16 22:23:24

    Washington, Nov. 16 (CNA) The commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, William Fallon, told U.S. Congressmen that he "fully supports" U.S. policy regarding China and Taiwan and the U.S. government stands ready to fulfill President George W. Bush's 2001 arms sales commitment to Taiwan, in all its elements.

    In reply to a congressional letter of Oct. 26, 2005 concerning the acquisition of diesel-electric submarines by Taiwan, Fallon said he is "fully committed to our obligation to provide Taiwan with the necessary capabilities for its self-defense."

    But he pointed out that "while it is my sincere hope that Taipei and Beijing resolve their differences peacefully, I am deeply concerned about long-term peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait." "Militarily, we seek to deter China from any use of force against Taiwan. That said, in fulfilling this commitment, we face some significant challenges, " which include "divergent trends in military capabilities between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan," he said.

    He noted that while the PRC has been aggressively modernizing its armed forces and investing heavily in its offensive capabilities, Taiwan defense spending in relation to GDP has declined for the past 10 years and the Legislative Yuan has failed to approve a special budget that includes funding for submarines, PAC-3 Surface to Air missiles and P-3C aircraft. "Given U.S. commitments around the world, now more than ever, it is imperative that Taiwan maintain a credible defense, " he wrote, adding that the most useful thing Taiwan could do to enhance its military deterrence of a PRC attack would be to "increase its own defense capabilities and readiness."

    Regarding the sale of diesel-electric submarines, US PACOM personnel "have not attempted to discourage this purchase, " he assured. "However, we have strongly and consistently encouraged them to acquire capabilities that would have an immediate impact in their defense. While submarines would provide Taiwan with significant capabilities, a lengthy period of time would be needed to fulfill this long-term acquisition program," he noted.

    Fallon made his statements in a letter to the congressmen Nov. 8, to address their concerns about news reports that suggest the U. S. Pacific Command has told Taiwan officials that it should reconsider its purchase of the eight diesel-electric submarines. "Any such guidance or suggestion... might also further complicate efforts by security-minded ROC officials and lawmakers to help pass in the Legislative Yuan a special defense budget for critical defensive weapon systems, " said the congressmen who quoted Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Richard P. Lawless as calling the ROC's willingness to acquire the weapons systems "a litmus test of Taiwan's commitment to its self-defense."

(By Oliver Lin & S.C. Chang)

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