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LEGISLATOR LI AO REITERATES STRONG OPPOSITION TO ARMS PROCUREMENT

ROC Central News Agency

2006-02-07 18:42:38

    Taipei, Feb. 7 (CNA) Independent Legislator Li Ao vowed Tuesday that he will continue to oppose the passage of any bill that would allow the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government to buy weapons from the United States.

    Li, a noted writer and historian, reiterated his strong opposition to the government's military procurement plan while reporting to the Legislative Yuan ahead of the new legislative session.

    The opposition-controlled legislature has blocked two bills submitted by the DPP government in the past two years -- bills that sought approval for a special budget of NT$480 billion (US$14.9 billion) 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.

    Li warned Ma Ying-jeou, chairman of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), not to reach any compromise with the DPP government that would allow the military procurement bill to pass. Otherwise, he cautioned, Ma would be "betraying Taiwan."

    The KMT chairman is reportedly planning to present the KMT's version of the arms package during the new legislative session.

    Li explained that Taiwan is not required to pay for weapons supplied by the United States under the Taiwan Relations Act, which stipulates: "It is the policy of the United States to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character."

    Insisting that the word "provide" means that weapons supplied by the United States to Taiwan should be free, Li said that Taiwan not only doesn't need to pay for weapons it wants this year, but that he would file a lawsuit in the U.S. federal court against the U.S. government, asking it to refund all the money Taiwan has paid for U.S. weapons over the past 27 years.

    Asked about his priorities for the new legislative session, Li said he would focus on international issues and pay less attention to Taiwan's domestic affairs.

(By Han Nai-kuo)

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