US Senator John Cornyn is calling on US President Barack Obama to immediately sell 66 advanced F-16C/D fighter planes to Taiwan.
“It would send a powerful message that the US will stand by our allies, both in the Taiwan Strait and in other parts of the world,” the Texan Republican said.
In a statement made from the floor of the Senate, Cornyn said continued US support for Taiwan’s legitimate defense needs was vital, as was compliance with the Taiwan Relations Act.
“Since 2006, the Taiwanese have made clear their desire to purchase 66 F-16C/Ds to augment an air fleet that is bordering on obsolescence,” he said.
Cornyn said that with the continuing Chinese weapons buildup, the military imbalance in the Taiwan Strait was increasing and Washington’s recent decision to sell a US$6.4 billion arms package to Taipei was not enough to set things straight.
“A gauge of how quickly this tide has turned can be found in the Department of Defense’s [DOD] Annual Report on the military power of the PRC,” he said. “The 2002 version of this report concluded that Taiwan ‘has enjoyed dominance of the airspace over the Taiwan Strait for many years.’ The DOD’s 2009 report now states this conclusion no longer holds true.”
He said that peace and security in the Taiwan Strait were core US national interests.
“If China becomes emboldened, it might be tempted to try and take Taiwan through outright aggression or cow Taiwan into subservience through intimidation,” Cornyn said.
“We know a Taiwan that is properly defended and equipped will raise the stakes for China, and that would serve as the best defense against belligerent acts,” he said.
Given the impending closure of the F-16 production line — the US and its allies are switching to the F-35 as their future fighter platform — time is pressing for a decision on the sale to Taiwan.
“When the F-16 line eventually goes cold, it is not realistic to expect that it would be restarted,” Cornyn said.
President of the US-Taiwan Business Council Rupert Hammond-Chambers praised Cornyn’s statement.
“The inability of Taiwan to adequately defend its airspace will place a greater burden on already stretched US forces in the Asia-Pacific,” he said. “Providing Taiwan with additional F-16s, thereby rationalizing and modernizing their fleet, reduces the pressure on US forces to fill the gap.”
MAKING WAVES: China’s maritime militia could become a nontraditional threat in war, clogging up shipping lanes to prevent US or Japanese intervention, a report said About 1,900 Chinese ships flying flags of convenience and fishing vessels that participated in China’s military exercises around Taiwan last month and in January last year have been listed for monitoring, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said yesterday. Following amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法) and the Law of Ships (船舶法) last month, the CGA can designate possible berthing areas or deny ports of call for vessels suspected of loitering around areas where undersea cables can be accessed, Oceans Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said. The list of suspected ships, originally 300, had risen to about
DAREDEVIL: Honnold said it had always been a dream of his to climb Taipei 101, while a Netflix producer said the skyscraper was ‘a real icon of this country’ US climber Alex Honnold yesterday took on Taiwan’s tallest building, becoming the first person to scale Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net. Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-story skyscraper to watch Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix. Dressed in a red T-shirt and yellow custom-made climbing shoes, Honnold swiftly moved up the southeast face of the glass and steel building. At one point, he stepped onto a platform midway up to wave down at fans and onlookers who were taking photos. People watching from inside
Japan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response in such an event. Takaichi expressed her latest views on a nationally broadcast TV program late on Monday, where an opposition party leader criticized her for igniting tensions with China with the earlier remarks. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese
STREAMLINED: The dedicated funding would allow the US to transfer equipment to Taiwan when needed and order upgraded replacements for stockpiles, a source said The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a defense appropriations bill totaling US$838.7 billion, of which US$1 billion is to be allocated to reinforcing security cooperation with Taiwan and US$150 million to replace defense articles provided to the nation. These are part of the Consolidated Appropriation Act, which the US House yesterday passed with 341 votes in favor and 88 against. The act must be passed by the US Senate before Friday next week to avoid another government shutdown. The US House Committee on Appropriations on Monday unveiled the act, saying that it allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative
RSS