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KMT may back purchase of submarines: lawmaker

A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator yesterday said his party would support the procurement of submarines from the US, depending on the price.

"The KMT does not rule out buying submarines in its coming version of the special arms package," said Legislator Shuai Hua-min (帥化民), a member of the KMT panel studying the special arms procurement plan.

Shai made the remarks at a press conference that followed a closed-door meeting with officials from the Ministry of National Defense.

The officials, along with military specialists and lawmakers on the legislature's National Defense Committee, were invited to the meeting by Shuai and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Wen-chung (李文忠) to discuss security issues.

Shuai's remarks yesterday, however, were in sharp contrast to KMT Legislator Su Chi's (蘇起) earlier comments that submarines are offensive weapons and therefore inappropriate for the nation's defense.

Shuai said Taiwan's financial situation rules out an arms race with China, but that the government should seriously consider the efficiency of investments when it comes to boosting defenses.

"Submarines should not be seen as offensive weapons but as defensive deterrent weapons, which could help the country reach its current strategic goal of preventing a war with China," he said.

Shuai said the KMT opposes the current submarine procurement proposal because of what it feels is an unreasonably high price.

If the government were able to negotiate a lower price with the US, the KMT might agree to the purchase, he said.

DPP Legislator Shen Fa-hui (沈發惠), who also took part in yesterday's meeting, said that while the procurement of 12 P-3C maritime patrol aircraft was largely supported at the meeting, the purchase of three Patriot anti-missile batteries was very controversial.

Lee said the defense ministry had not changed its priorities on the arms bill, while Shuai complained that buying the missile batteries would be an inefficient use of money.

If China has 700 ballistic missiles, and two defense missiles are theoretically needed to intercept an offensive missile, then 1,400 Patriot missiles would be needed, but Taiwan couldn't afford to buy so many, he said.

Shuai said purchasing the missile batteries could be delayed since a cross-strait war was unlikely to erupt anytime soon.

Taiwan should consider boosting the development of its own anti-missile system instead of paying for a high-priced Patriot battery, he said.

KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said in Brussels yesterday that the KMT will issue its policy statement on military procurement by the end of this month or early next month.

Ma said the KMT will not discuss any plans for buying PAC-3 anti-missile batteries from the US, because the 2004 referendum had already vetoed the purchase.

As for other items on the procurement list, the KMT will make a clear explanation of its positions in the policy statement, Ma said.
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