MND DENIES ANY ARMS DEALS, MILITARY TIES WITH UAE
ROC Central News Agency
2006-05-05 23:28:24
Taipei, May 5 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) denied Friday that Taiwan has forged military cooperative ties or signed arms deals with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Some opposition lawmakers speculated that the government might have struck weapons deals or entered into military cooperative programs with the oil-rich Middle East country after President Chen Shui-bian made a surprise layover in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital Thursday en route to Paraguay instead of the originally scheduled transit destination of Anchorage, Alaska.
Dismissing the speculation as unfounded, MND spokesman Wu Chi-fang said Taiwan has not engaged in any arms dealing with the UAE.
He also discounted a media report that the Navy Marine Corps plans to purchase small attack submarines from the UAE. "The report wasn't factual. The military has not set aside any budget for such a procurement deal," he added.
Opposition People First Party Legislator Lin Yu-fang said he doesn't think that Chen's layover in Abu Dhabi has anything to do with arms dealing. "I believe that Taiwan's efforts at developing ties with the UAE is mainly for ensuring a stable crude oil supply, " he contended.
(By Sofia Wu)
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