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President says requested combat aircraft are for defense

ROC Central News Agency

2010/08/06 22:54:25

By Lee Shu-hua and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou said Friday that the reason Taiwan wants to purchase high-performance combat aircraft from the United States is to maintain its self-defense capability.

"Not only does the United States understand that, we know it, and we hope mainland China understands it too, " Ma said in a Presidential Office meeting with visitors from the Washington D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank.

The guests included retired U.S. Navy Admiral Timothy Keating, as well as experts in cross-Taiwan Strait affairs Bonnie Glaser and Alan Romberg.

Ma noted that amid improving cross-strait ties, there are more than 1,000 missiles deployed on the mainland targeting Taiwan.

This "worries" Taiwan, he said, adding that he hopes Taiwan and the U.S. not only maintain their security ties, but strengthen the links.

Taiwan's request to buy high-performance combat aircraft such as F-16C/Ds is not to enhance its offensive capability but to replace older fighters, allowing the country's fleet to continue to be capable of defending Taiwan, Ma said.

"We will not ask Americans to fight a war for Taiwan" because Taiwan is determined to defend itself, Ma said.

Taiwan is also confident that the tension in the strait will continue to decrease, Ma said, adding that he believes that as outlined in the Taiwan Relations Act, Washington will firmly keep its promise in terms of arm sales. He called the U.S. promise "very crucial" for continued peace in the strait and stability in the East Asian region.

Ma also talked about the economic cooperation framework agreement Taiwan signed with China in late June.

He said the trade pact has helped improve cross-strait relations and at the same time encouraged Taiwan's other major trade partners to seek deals that are similar to free trade agreements with Taiwan.

Taiwan and China spent over six months in talks and negotiations on the economic agreement, Ma said. Thanks to the talks, the two sides had deeper and more comprehensive contacts with each other than before.

"Basically, they were a kind of confidence-building measure," he told the American visitors, who are involved in the think tank's program on cross-strait confidence-building measures.