• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

MA, SOONG CONTINUE OPPOSING MILITARY PURCHASE AT 'EXORBITANT PRICES'

ROC Central News Agency

2005-12-22 22:30:56

    Taipei, Dec. 22 (CNA) The leaders of Taiwan's two main opposition parties reiterated Thursday that while they believe the nation needs to maintain appropriate defense capabilities, they remain opposed to the plan of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to procure weapons at what they said were "exorbitant prices."

    Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong reached this consensus at their second meeting since the DPP's humiliating defeat in the Dec. 3 local government elections.

    Emerging from the meeting, Soong pointed out that the PFP has been opposed to buying weapons at exorbitant prices for quite some time. "Why must we spend US$1 billion to purchase submarines from the U.S. that would cost other countries only US$300 million? And why does the DPP government use a special budget to dodge oversight by the legislature?" he asked.

    Soong reminded the Americans that if they want to help Taiwan develop its defense capabilities, they should sell Taiwan new weapons, not outdated ones. He added that although Taiwan must demonstrate its determination to defend itself, the United States must also show equal determination to help Taiwan defend itself.

    The PFP chairman urged the DPP government to make clear to the people whether it intends to settle the cross-Taiwan Strait issue by war or by peaceful means. "If it is to be settled by war, I would say frankly: 'We are not China's match.'"

    Ma said that the nation needs adequate defense capabilities, which do not have to come from the three proposed categories of the procurement plan.

    The DPP government has submitted two bills in the legislature seeking approval for a NT$480 billion (US$14.45 billion) special budget to purchase eight diesel-electric submarines, six Patriot PAC III anti-missile batteries and a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft from the United States. However, the "pan-blue alliance" of the KMT and the PFP has blocked the legislation 41 times.

(By Han Nai-kuo)

ENDITEM/mw