Stance on arms purchase remains the same: Presidential Office
ROC Central News Agency
Taipei, July 14 (CNA) Taiwan's government has never wavered in its desire to procure defensive arms from the United States, Presidential Office spokesman Wang Yu-chi said Monday.
Wang was responding to a United Daily News report that White House National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley called National Security Council Secretary-General Su Chi to ask that Taiwan's authorities avoid comments on Washington's move to freeze various arms sales to Taiwan.
Wang, speaking on Su's behalf, denied the report July 12.
The spokesman said the government's position on purchasing defensive arms with America has not changed and that the military was still discussing weapons programs with the U.S. based on arms procurement budgets approved by the Legislative Yuan last year.
Meanwhile, asked whether President Ma Ying-jeou will visit Paraguay in August with diplomatic ties with the South American country reportedly in jeopardy, Wang said Ma will respect the evaluation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and follow its arrangements.
Paraguay's President-elect Fernando Lugo, who is slated to take office on Aug. 15, has said many times that he would like to switch diplomatic recognition to China, giving rise to speculation that Taiwan might lose its only diplomatic ally in South America.
As to the incident in which eight Taiwanese businessmen remained missing off the coast of Madagascar since July 11, Wang said the MOFA has reported the incident's development to Ma, who asked the ministry to go all-out in helping rescue those missing. (By Ruth Wang) enditem/ls
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