Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

AIT confirms Taiwan military plane refueling in U.S.

ROC Central News Agency

2010/01/21 13:31:01

Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) confirmed Thursday that a Taiwan military aircraft, en route to Haiti on a humanitarian aid mission, was refueling in the United States.

Press and Media Officer Christopher R. Kavanagh at the AIT Taipei office, said the U.S. agreed to Taiwan's request for a cargo plane to refuel on U.S. territory to facilitate quick delivery of medical and other supplies to Haiti.

The U.S. made the decision based on humanitarian considerations, Kavanagh told reporters.

Harry Tseng, director-general of the North American Affairs Department at Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, declined to comment on the issue.

According to local media reports, a C-130 transport plane from the ROC Air Force has secretly left for Haiti on a post-quake humanitarian assistance mission. The aircraft reportedly made a transit stop at a U.S. military base to refuel.

It is the second time that a Taiwan Air Force plane was making a cross-ocean flight, with the first being in 2004 when C-130 transport planes flew relief supplies to Singapore's Changi Airport to assist survivors of the South Asian tsunami.

(By S H. Yao and Flor Wang) enditem /pc