The US Congress may be preparing to step up the pressure once again in an effort to persuade US President Barack Obama to sell advanced F-16C/D aircraft to Taiwan.
CIA Director Leon Panetta, the secretary of defense designate, was expected to be questioned on the potential sale during his nomination hearing later this week.
A US Senate vote to confirm the nomination of William Burns as US undersecretary of state for policy could be held up in an attempt to force Obama to make a decision.
The Washington Times reported that a senior Senate aide close to the issue believed there is a sense on Capitol Hill that the administration wants Congress to push the Pentagon to go ahead with the sale as a way of limiting fallout from China.
While details of the tactic are not spelled out, it seems the administration may believe that if responsibility for the sale falls on Congress rather than Obama, China will modify its reaction.
However, Beijing is certain to vigorously protest at any new arms sales to Taiwan and might break off its recently negotiated military-to-military contacts with the US.
Obama and his top advisers believe these contacts to be a vital safety valve that could prevent a future armed clash.
The Washington Times quoted US Senator John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, as saying the shifting military balance across the Taiwan Strait is increasing the danger of a conflict that could involve the US.
“While the administration dithers on Taiwan’s request for F-16s, evidence continues to mount that what Taiwan desperately needs to restore the cross-strait balance and regain the ability to defend its own airspace is new fighter aircraft to bolster an air force that is borderline obsolete,” Cornyn said.
“The repercussions of a rising and potentially aggressive China, able to dominate the airspace over Taiwan, demands the attention of our military planners, government officials and members of Congress because it opens the door for China to use force against Taiwan,” he said.
Defense officials quoted by the Washington Times said the White House has told Taiwan not to formally request new aircraft and, instead, it is offering the interim step of a US$4 billion package of arms and equipment to upgrade Taiwan’s 145 F-16A/Bs purchased in 1992.
That package, the Washington Times said, has been held up for months by the US Department of State.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is delaying the release of two reports to Congress on air power across the Strait and China’s overall military power.
On May 26, a bipartisan mix of 45 senators wrote to the White House expressing “serious concerns about the military imbalance in the Taiwan Strait” and urged the sale of the 66 F-16C/Ds as requested by Taipei.
One estimate said the F-16 sale would generate US$8.7 billion for contractors and subcontractors in 44 states and create more than 87,664 jobs.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
RSS