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US in $5.85 billion Taiwan jet upgrade, China protests
by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Sept 22, 2011

Romney blasts Obama decision on Taiwan fighters
Washington (AFP) Sept 21, 2011 - Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney on Wednesday blasted President Barack Obama's decision not to sell Taiwan new F-16 fighter jets, charging he "caved into the unreasonable demands of China."

The former Masschusetts governor said Obama's approval of a $5.85 billion multi-part deal to upgrade Taiwan's existing fleet of military planes "is yet another example of his weak leadership in foreign policy."

"In the face of China's intensive military buildup, the United States needs the strongest possible partnerships in Asia. However, President Obama has ignored Taiwan's request and caved into the unreasonable demands of China at the cost of well-paying American jobs," said Romney.

Taipei applied in 2007 to buy 66 F-16 C/D fighters, which have better radar and more powerful weapons systems than its F-16 A/Bs, in response to China's growing military muscle.

The US offer to upgrade Taiwan's existing fleet of 146 US-made F-16 A/Bs falls short of that ambition and is seen by some observers on the island as a "consolation prize."

"This decision raises serious questions about his commitment to our closest partners and to the policies that have sustained American leadership abroad," charged Romney, a top contender for his party's nomination to take on Obama in the November 2012 election.

But China reacted angrily to the deal, with Chinese vice foreign minister Zhang Zhijun accusing Washington of "wrongdoing" that "will inevitably undermine bilateral relations as well as exchanges and cooperation in military and security areas," according to the official Xinhua news agency.

The United States announced a $5.85 billion upgrade of Taiwan's fighter jets Wednesday, triggering swift rebuke from China even though the deal stopped short of the island's ambitions to buy new F-16s.

Taiwanese and US officials said that the upgrade would improve the island's defenses as it faces a rising China, which has ramped up military spending and widened its strategic edge over the self-governing territory.

"After the upgrade, the air force's combat capability will be advanced hugely," Taiwan's defense minister Kao Hua-chu told a hastily called press conference in Taipei.

Officials in Washington and Taipei said Taiwan would get a retrofit of 145 F-16 A/B fighter jets, which will be equipped with modern weapons and radar capable of detecting China's new stealth airplanes.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called the package a "substantial" move that will "help ensure that Taiwan maintains the capability to protect its airspace in both peacetime and during any crisis."

"We firmly believe that our arms sales to Taiwan contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," she said.

But China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly warned the United States not to sell weapons to the island, said it was summoning the new US ambassador to Beijing, Gary Locke, and lodged a protest in Washington.

"The wrongdoing by the US side will inevitably undermine bilateral relations as well as exchanges and cooperation in military and security areas," China's vice foreign minister Zhang Zhijun said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

China snapped military exchanges with the United States in January 2010 after President Barack Obama's administration approved an earlier $6.4 billion package that included helicopters and Patriot missiles, although cooperation resumed within months.

The Obama administration had kept quiet for months over Taiwan's request, first lodged in 2007, to buy 66 F-16 C/D fighters -- which have better radar and more powerful weapons systems than its F-16 A/Bs -- in response to China's growing military muscle.

The decision to upgrade the existing fleet was seen by some Taiwanese observers as a consolation prize. Obama also came under fire from members of the rival Republican Party who said that jet sales would have created badly needed US jobs.

Republican Senator John Cornyn, whose state of Texas stands to benefit from arms sales, accused Obama of failing to meet obligations under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which requires Washington to ensure Taiwan's self-defense.

The arms decision "bestows upon Communist China a newfound sway over American national security, and this capitulation should be met with concern by US allies everywhere," said Cornyn, who has introduced legislation that aims to force the sale of 66 new F-16s.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Obama "caved in to the unreasonable demands of China at the cost of well-paying American jobs."

A senior administration official shot back at the criticism, saying that the more than $12 billion in arms approved for Taiwan under Obama contrasted favorably with the record of Republican President George W. Bush.

"Essentially, we have provided twice the amount in half the time. And that is a substantial commitment and I don't think it's fair to turn this into a partisan issue," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The official said that the United States was not ruling out future sales of new F-16 C/D jets but said that the retrofit was the best option in the near term.

"It is our belief that we are going to be able to get greater capabilities more rapidly and a large number of airplanes into the field in a more decisive way," he said.

Richard Aboulafia, an aviation expert and vice president of the Teal Group Corp., said that Taiwan's F-16 A/Bs were already unusually modern and included many of the technical features of C/Ds.

But he said that the upgrade decision meant that Taiwan would not increase its fleet at a time that China is boosting its military spending.

"This is a numbers problem," he said.

The package, which will take place over 12 years, also includes training for Taiwanese pilots at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

China's defeated nationalists fled to Taiwan after losing the civil war in 1949 and the island has since transformed into a vibrant democracy. US officials reiterated that Washington still only recognizes Beijing.

Ties between China and Taiwan have improved markedly since Beijing-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008 and ramped up trade and other links.

But China has refused to renounce the use of force against the self-governing island and Ma has publicly sought new F-16s.

Related Links
Taiwan News at SinoDaily.com




 

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US says Taiwan jet deals $5.85 bn
Washington (AFP) Sept 21, 2011 - The Pentagon on Wednesday put a total value of $5.85 billion on a multi-part deal to upgrade Taiwan's F-16 fighter jets.

Shortly after an announcement in Taipei, the Pentagon said it had formally notified Congress of the deal that will include equipment, parts, training and logistical support.

The Pentagon announced the deal in three parts valued at $5.3 billion, $500 million and $50 million. The deal includes a retrofit of the island's F-16 A/B aircraft "which will greatly enhance the recipient's ability to defend its borders," a Pentagon statement said.

Lockheed Martin among other arms companies will be a major contractor in the retrofit which will include missiles GPS laser-guided bombs, the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.

"This proposed sale serves US national, economic and security interests by supporting the recipients continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and enhance its defensive capability," the statement said.

"The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region," it said.





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TAIWAN NEWS
Taiwan to receive F-16 upgrades: US official
New York (AFP) Sept 19, 2011
A senior US official on Monday all but confirmed reports that Washington will help Taiwan upgrade its 145 US-made F-16 A/B fighters, rather than selling the more advanced jets coveted by the island. The official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, could not confirm the information until Congress is notified of the US administration's decision, which the official said will happe ... read more


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