Politics

Confidence in arms

• Publication Date：02/12/2010
• Source： Taiwan Today

With cross-strait relations going from strength to strength on the back of ROC President Ma Ying-jeou’s “diplomatic truce” policy, news that the Pentagon notified Congress Jan. 29 of a proposed arms sale to Taiwan worth US$6.4 billion reaffirms the correctness of this strategy and underscores the trust Washington places in Taipei.

The package, which includes offers to sell two mine-hunting ships, 60 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, 12 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, 114 Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile systems and 60 ship-based communications systems, was originally part of a US$11-billion commitment made by former U.S. President George W. Bush in 2001. Washington insiders expect Congress to approve the deal in the first half of this year.

The announcement of the notification could not come at a better time for the Ma administration. In addition to bolstering Taiwan’s confidence when dealing with mainland China, it permits the island to continue maintaining a determined defense and effective deterrence. This will prove to be of enormous value with the government entering into negotiations on the proposed cross-strait economic framework agreement next month.

As a supporter of Taipei’s efforts to foster closer commercial ties with Beijing, Washington holds that selling arms to Taiwan remains appropriate and is an assertion of U.S. national interests. It views the sale as being consistent with the precepts of the United States’ policy and contributing to security and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The weapons sale similarly shows that Ma is fully committed to procuring all requisite weapons for the ROC armed forces as part of maintaining Taiwan’s security—a policy conducive to the development of cross-strait ties and stability and peace in East Asia. The president is well aware that despite warming relations with Beijing, the mainland has not stopped its missile buildup against the island. If the cross-strait status quo is to be preserved, then Taiwan’s military must have access to the latest U.S. arms.

This begets the question of when Washington will approve Taipei’s request for 66 F-16 C/D fighters that was first submitted to the Bush administration in July 2006. The advanced jets are needed to replace the island’s 17-year-old fleet and would help maintain the balance of air power over the strait. As Washington is obligated to supply Taipei with the necessary weapons to maintain a sufficient defense under the Taiwan Relations Act, steps must be taken to remedy this state of affairs.

U.S. arms sales give Taiwan the confidence to stand toe-to-toe in all interactions with mainland China while safeguarding the island’s security and interests of its 23 million people. At this critical juncture in cross-strait relations, an ROC with strong self-defense capabilities is essential to guaranteeing peace in the strait and Taiwan’s prosperity.

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