A US military delegation, completing a secret visit to Taiwan's defense facilities, expressed concern about the nation's ability to bear China's "first strike," local media said yesterday.
"A delegation member said that Taiwan's military -- from front-line troops to military organization, command and logistics -- cannot be put up to the test of a real war," the report said.
Another delegation member said that looking at Taiwan's off-shore islands, airports, harbors and radar stations, he was concerned about their "anti-bombing capability." China's first strike would be a missile attack and then attack by its air force and navy, the report said.
A Taiwan defense ministry official said: "It was only after we let US personnel inspect our secret military facilities that they realized we need more military aid than they thought."
Richard Bush, the highest US official in charge of Taiwan affairs, joined the US military delegation's visit, although he is making an official visit to Taiwan.
Bush is the managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, which has served as the unofficial embassy since the US cut diplomatic ties with Taipei to recognize Beijing in 1979. He visits Taiwan occasionally.
According to the Liberty Times, Bush and the US military delegation visited an airbase and a naval base in Hualien on Taiwan's east coast on Saturday.
"They viewed an air show by F-16 warplanes and inspected the storage of Harpoon, Maverick, Sparrow, and Sidewinder missiles," the paper said.
During the visit, Taiwan military officials requested that F-16s be upgraded and that P-3C anti-submarine helicopters be bought and that there was an early delivery of AIM-120 medium-range missiles.
"Bush said he would convey the requests to the new US government," the paper said.
When Washington dropped Taipei to recognize Beijing in 1979, it signed the Taiwan Relations Act, promising to continue to sell defensive arms to Taiwan.
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