Taiwan presses for F-16 C/D sale
ROC Central News Agency
2010/10/05 11:09:29
Washington, Oct. 4 (CNA) Taiwan renewed a call Monday for the United States to approve its request for F-16C/D fighters to help enhance its air defense capability against China's military threat.
Yang Nien-dzu, deputy defense minister of Taiwan, said during the annual U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference held in Cambridge, Maryland that the security threat faced by Taiwan has not eased despite closer cooperation with China on economic issues.
The situation was highlighted in July when Chinese defense minister Liang Guanglie commented that Taiwan affairs were the main focus of China's military buildup, Yang said.
Taiwan's need to beef up its weak air defense was also publicized in a report on China's military development released earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Defense, he noted.
According to Yang, F-16C/D fighters, along with diesel-electric submarines, are the weapons most urgently needed by Taiwan to maintain a minimum, basic self-defense capability.
Failure to obtain these weapons is like being without an important piece of a jigsaw puzzle and leaves Taiwan's defense deployment incomplete, he said.
The United States has not ruled out selling Taiwan the 66 F16C/D fighters it has requested, but it has dragged its feet on making a commitment of any kind out of fear of angering Beijing.
Some have speculated that Washington might opt to instead provide upgrades of Taiwan's fleet of F16 A/B aircraft.
The U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry has been held annually since 2002.
U.S. officials participating in this year's Oct. 3-5 conference included Beth M. McCormick, deputy assistant secretary of state for defense, trade and regional security, and Wallace Gregson, assistant secretary of defense for Asian & Pacific security affairs. (By Jorge Liu and Y.F. Low) ENDITEM/ls
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