• Military

• WMD Menu                           

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

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DEFENSE MINISTER CRITICIZES KMT'S 'DEFENSE-ORIENTED MILITARY POLICY'

ROC Central News Agency

2006-01-19 21:48:34

    Taipei, Jan. 19 (CNA) National Defense Minister Lee Jye criticized Thursday the theory of "defense-oriented military policy" put forth by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), claiming that the party has confused tactical force with the defense strategy idea.

    Lee made the remarks while speaking to reporters at a party held in the Armed Forces Officers Club to mark Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 29.

    Dismissing the KMT's theory, Lee said national defense and military buildup planning are highly professional issues that cannot be replaced by a few academics' personal viewpoints.

    Lee pointed out that at the present stage, Taiwan has a very clear and definite defense policy, which he said is a preventive one seeking to build a strong deterrent to stop China from using force against the nation.

    As for a KMT proposal that Taiwan should procure quick response helicopters, tactical missiles and quick-drying cement instead of three big-ticket weaponry systems from the United States, Lee pointed out that the three KMT-proposed items are already included in the nation's military buildup program.

    He went on that the three KMT-proposed items cannot completely replace the planned arms package that includes six Patriot III anti-missile batteries, eight diesel-electric submarines and 12 P-3C Orion submarine-hunting aircraft.

    Lee also said he regrets that the opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan has blocked the arms procurement bill 45 times since it was submitted to the legislature, making it impossible for lawmakers to conduct real discussions of the profesional defense issue. "China has been working on military expansion over the past 10 years, with its defense budget posting double-digit growth every year," Lee noted, adding that moreover, the People's Liberation Army has also held a series of military exercises featuring simulated attacks against Taiwan. "While all our neighbors are speeding up their military buildup, the opposition camp has constantly blocked the arms procurement plan, ignoring the fact that Taiwan is apparently facing an immediate threat from China because the Beijing authorities are in a hurry to resolve the Taiwan issue," he said.

    He called on the opposition to support the early passage of the long-stalled arms procurement package during the next legislative session to enable the armed forces to upgrade its self-defense abilities and safeguard national security.

    The opposition "pan blue alliance" of the Kuomintang and the People First Party, which holds a slight majority in the legislature, has axed all the funds related to the arms package in the Ministry of National Defense's (MND's) 2006 budget plan.

(By Luis Huang)

ENDITEM/J