The Pentagon has denied imposing a deadline on Taiwan's decision on whether to purchase a dozen surveillance aircraft, saying the US will stick with President George W. Bush's offer to sell Taiwan a robust package of sophisticated weapons, regardless of how long that takes.
The denial comes in response to Minister of National Defense Lee Jye's (
There is "no deadline," a Pentagon official told the Taipei Times.
However, he did reflect the Bush administration's frustration that Taiwan has not moved to approve the purchase of the aircraft, along with other major weapons systems Bush agreed to sell Taiwan in April 2001.
Despite Lee's comments, a Pentagon spokesman said that "the Department of Defense remains firmly committed to fulfilling the security and arms sales provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act," which commits the US to "provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character."
The spokesman also said that Bush's 2001 arms sales commitment still stands, despite the Legislative Yuan's inaction.
"The president has stated in 2001 that these systems would be made available to Taiwan. We will continue to assist Taiwan in meeting its legitimate self-defense needs in accordance with our obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act," the spokesman said.
Privately, defense officials complain that Lee's statement may be a political ploy to push for the Legislative Yuan's approval of a special arms purchase budget, which the lawmaking body has consistently refused to do.
Despite the Pentagon's denial, at least one congressman has confirmed that the department has warned Taiwan to make a decision quickly.
"I don't know about an end of the month deadline, but yes, they've been given a short date to decide," said New Jersey Representative Robert Andrews, a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
Andrews told the Taipei Times that he did not expect the ultimatum to result in the actual denial of the planes to Taiwan.
"I think it may be more of an effort to provoke a decision. I'm not sure they will withdraw the offer. One doesn't necessarily beget the other," he said.
Defense department officials also take issue with Lee's statements that if Taiwan does not buy the P-3Cs, they will be sold to another country.
While Lockheed Martin, the defense contractor for the P-3Cs, does not make the planes any longer, there are literally hundreds of the surplus aircraft sitting idle in the US Department of Defense's so-called "bone yard" for unused planes outside of Yuma, Arizona.
The P-3Cs meant for Taiwan would come from that stash, according to US defense officials.
While the planes are whole, any sale would involve refitting them to meet Taiwan's specifications, which would be part of the cost.
The purchase of the P-3Cs is part of a NT$480 billion special arms budget that the DPP has long sought, but which the Legislative Yuan has regularly rejected. In addition to the aircraft, the package would include eight diesel-electric submarines and six PAC-III anti missile batteries.
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