Taiwan dismisses delay in U.S. delivery of helicopters
ROC Central News Agency
2011/11/10 19:21:56
Taipei, Nov. 10 (CNA) A U.S. sale of Black Hawk helicopters to Taiwan, approved by President Barack Obama in 2010, is proceeding according to the terms of the contract, a Taiwanese defense official said Thursday, dismissing a media report to the contrary.
"There is no delay," Deputy Defense Minister Chao Shih-chang said when asked about the report by opposition Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Huang Wei-cher at an interpellation session at the legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
Quoting a U.S. draft report to Congress, the Nov. 4 Reuters report said that only four of 60 Black Hawk utility helicopters were on order as of mid-October, although the U.S. government made a Congressional notification of the sale to Taiwan in January 2010.
At the legislative session, Chao denied that there is a lag in the transfer of the aircraft to Taiwan, saying that the two sides have stayed in contact on the matter.
He did not elaborate on the delivery time of the helicopters under the contract.
The Black Hawks are part of an arms sales package with a potential value of US$6.4 billion approved by the Obama administration last year. (By Elaine Hou) ENDITEM/J
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