Taiwan renews bid to buy US arms

US F-16 fighter jet (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181248.html

Taiwan has announced that it still continues its bid to buy eight submarines and 66 F-16 fighters from the United States.

"The country's position to seek (eight) diesel-powered submarines and F-16C/Ds has never changed," Taiwan's defense ministry said in a statement on Sunday, AFP reported.

"The deal is still in the US government's screening process. The ministry will keep pushing for the deal so as to meet Taiwan's self-defense demands."

Washington approved in 2001 to sell eight conventional submarines to Taiwan as part of the biggest arms package with the island since 1992.

The US has not produced conventional submarine for more than 40 years. Germany and Spain, other builders of submarines, have refused to offer their design to Taiwan, fearing the action would anger China, experts say.

Taiwan also asked for 66 F-16 fighters in 2007, a plan that has since then been stalled.

Taiwan has reportedly decided to agree with a US offer of delivering four submarines to accelerate the process of the deal.

China's Chief of General Staff Chen Bingde said last week that further US arms sales to Taiwan would hurt military relations between Beijing and Washington. He said the US cannot stop China's development using Taiwan.

Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Thomas Hou said on Thursday that most of US lawmakers have shown support for the implementation of Taiwan Relations Act, a law which obliges the US government to sell defensive weapons to Taiwan.

China stopped defense ties with the US in 2010 when Washington announced plans to sell more than $6 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan.

China suspends military ties with US

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=117442&sectionid=351020404

China suspends military exchanges with the US and threatens to impose sanctions on US arms companies over a Washington decision to sell weapons to Taiwan.

China's Defense Ministry suspended military exchange visits with the US, saying the suspension was "in consideration of the serious harm and impacts [of the 6.4-billion-dollar US-Taiwan arms deal] on Sino-US military relations."

Chinese Foreign Ministry also threatened to impose sanctions on US firms that sell weapons to Taiwan amid straining relations between Washington and Beijing.

"China will also impose corresponding sanctions on US companies that engage in weapons sales to Taiwan," the ministry said on Saturday.

"The United States must be responsible for the serious repercussions if it does not immediately reverse the mistaken decision to sell Taiwan weapons," Chinese deputy Foreign Minister He Yafei told the US ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman.

The arms sale includes Black Hawk helicopters, Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles, mine hunter ships and information technology.

US Congress has 30 days to comment before the plan goes forward. Lawmakers traditionally have supported such sales.

Saturday's measure is the second such suspension, since the former Bush administration in 2008 announced a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan.

Relations between the two countries have been strained as President Barack Obama plans to meet with the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, later this year.

More complications could affect President Hu Jintao's expected visit to the US this year, as well as talks on human rights that Obama and Hu had agreed to continue, a Press TV correspondent reported.

China warns US about arms sales to Taiwan

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=115690&sectionid=351020404

China has objected to the US plans to sell missile equipment to Taiwan, urging Washington to abandon the move as it would undermine trust between the US and Chinese militaries.

"The US arms sales to Taiwan infringe upon China's security interest[s] as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and interfere with China's internal affairs," Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a statement on Saturday.

The reaction follows the US Defense Department's approval of the sale of Patriot missile equipment to Taiwan despite opposition to the move by China.

The Pentagon in October 2008 notified Congress of $6.5bn in arms sales to Taiwan.

The deal will allow weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp. to sell Taiwan over 250 advanced Patriot missiles.

Taiwan estimates that China has up to 1,500 missiles aimed at the self-ruled island, which Beijing claims as its own.

The latest Chinese Foreign Ministry statement came hours after China's Defense Ministry issued a separate warning that it reserved the right to take unspecified further action if Washington followed through with the plan.

"The US side clings obstinately to the Bush administration's plan of arms sales to Taiwan, which severely undermines the mutual trust between the two militaries," said Defense Ministry Spokesman Huang Xueping in an official statement.

He added that China urges the United States "to sever military links with Taiwan, in order to avoid further damaging relations between the two countries and the two militaries and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."