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In January the Obama administration approved the sale of a $6.4 billion package of arms to Taiwan, including PAC-III missiles and Black Hawk helicopters. This is an affirmation of the Taiwan Relations Act, which says it is U.S. policy to “provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character.”
The request by the Taiwan government to purchase 66 F-16C/D jet fighters, however, is still pending. The February 16 report of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency found that Taiwan’s fleet of aging aircraft urgently need upgrades and replenishment. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense recently reported that Taiwan’s fighter aircraft are generally inferior to China’s. There is no question Taiwan needs the F-16 C/D fighters to redress the growing military imbalance against Taiwan.
Some analysts doubt that the Obama administration would risk angering Beijing by approving the sale of the F-16 C/Ds. But under the TRA, the President and the Congress are required to determine the nature and quantity of arms sales to Taiwan “based solely on their judgment of the needs of Taiwan.” In August 1982, President Reagan also assured Taipei that Washington will not hold prior consultations with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan.
We urge President Obama to approve the sale of the F-16 C/Ds soon , since the production of the F-16 is closing down. Such show of resolve will help in reassuring Japan whose recent attempt to distance itself from the United States is due in part to its growing doubt about America’s commitment to stay in East Asia over the long haul. |
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