U.S. urged to pay attention to cross-strait military imbalance
ROC Central News Agency
2011/07/12 20:58:55
By Lo Chu-tung & Bear Lee
Taipei, July 12 (CNA) Taiwan urged the United States Tuesday to supply it with F-16C/D jet fighters to help address the growing military imbalance across the Taiwan Strait.
Military spokesman Lo Shao-ho made the appeal in the wake of China's latest call for the U.S. to stop selling arms to Taiwan.
China's top military officials, including Defense Minister Liang Guanglie, People's Liberation Army's Chief of General Staff Chen Binde and Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Guo Boxiong, in their meetings with visiting U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen in Beijing, all repeatedly pressed for immediate termination of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
"Beijing has by all means voiced its opposition to Washington's arms sales to Taiwan," Lo said in response to questions by CNA.
"The U.S. should pay greater attention to the military imbalance across the Taiwan Strait, which favors China, as it could have far-reaching effects on security in the Western Pacific as well as on U.S. interests," Lo said.
"It is therefore necessary for the U.S. to sell the aircraft to Taiwan as soon as possible," he said.
On whether Taiwan was informed beforehand of Mullen's meetings with Chinese leaders, Lo said "there has been smooth communication between Taipei and Washington (on bilateral issues) and good mutual tacit understanding between the leaders of the two sides. There is therefore no need for Taiwan to receive advance notice of every exchange between the U.S. and China."
However, Lo said that Taiwan will seek to obtain the details of Admiral Mullen's meetings with Chinese officials after he concludes his four-day visit to Beijing on July 13.
The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has yet to give the green light to Taiwan's request for 66 F-16C/Ds to replace its aging fleet.
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