Harder for Taiwan to buy arms from U.S.: president
ROC Central News Agency
2011/07/29 23:31:41
Taipei, July 29 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou said the changing relationship between the United States and China makes it harder for Taiwan to purchase weapons from the U.S., according to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report published Friday.
Ma made the remarks in an interview with the WSJ at the presidential office a day earlier.
Under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the U.S. is obliged to provide defensive weapons to Taiwan.
The TRA also stipulates that the U.S. should not consult with China before selling arms to Taiwan.
Ma said Taiwan has already submitted a plan for upgrading its F16 A/B jet fighters to the U.S. and Washington has accepted Taipei's "letter of request" in this regard, and that the U.S. is still mulling over whether to sell more advanced F16 C/D fighters to Taiwan.
Despite warming relations across the Taiwan Strait under Ma's rule, Ma said China's neighbors have felt threatened by China's military expansion across the region.
"As China rises, it needs to pay more attention to what it says and does," he said. "If it always brings tensions and fear to surrounding countries, it will find it difficult to promote itself smoothly in the region."
Amid the rising tension in the South China Sea, Ma suggested that countries competing for resources in the South China Sea devise a peaceful way to broker an agreement."All parties have become more restrained in their words and behavior recently, as they all understand it's not good for anyone if conflict arises." (By Liao Han-yuan and Ann Chen) enditem/ly
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