Taiwan welcomes any action that would help enhance its defense capabilities, the Ministry of National Defense said on Saturday, after learning that the administration of US President Barack Obama would give serious consideration to selling new fighter aircraft to Taiwan to help redress the disparity in air power across the Taiwan Strait.
“Taiwan appreciates proposals aimed at helping to promote and enhance its defense capabilities,” ministry spokesman Colonel David Lo (羅紹和) said.
In a letter to Republican Senator John Cornyn on Friday, the White House said the idea of selling new aircraft to Taiwan warrants “serious consideration, given the growing military threat to Taiwan.”
“We recognize that China has 2,300 operational combat aircraft, while our democratic partner Taiwan has only 490,” wrote Robert Nabors, a White House aide and director of the Office of Legislative Affairs.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) said it was a time for the ministry to inquire about the possibility of submitting a letter of request (LoR) for new F-16C/D aircraft.
Taipei has been anxious to procure new jets to replace older ones, but Washington has been reluctant to accept an LoR “for difficult reasons,” said Lin, a member of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
The negotiations on arms sales could take as long as two to three years, he said, implying that the US would probably want to finish upgrading Taiwan’s existing F-16A/B fleet before moving on.
In September, the US and Taiwan reached a US$5.85 billion arms sale deal to upgrade Taiwan’s 145 F-16A/Bs.
However, the US said Taiwan’s request to procure F-16C/Ds was still under review.
Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) on Wednesday said decommissioned coast guard vessels were given to the Philippines to enhance regional rescue capacity and would not affect Taiwanese fishers’ rights and benefits. Kuan made the remarks after confirmation on Tuesday that a 500-tonne Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol and rescue vessel would be given to the Philippine Coast Guard. The donation ceremony was reportedly done in Manila, but whether the vessel — previously numbered “CG123” and named Kinmen (金門) — has been handed over has yet to be confirmed. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) on Wednesday criticized the donation for “taking
The Ministry of Finance today announced the winning numbers for the July-August uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$314,663) special prize is 89996565, while the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 91098182. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 54348835, 44991397 and 06595111. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits qualify for the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers are eligible for the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
The National Police Agency’s Third Special Police Corps yesterday said that from May to July, it intercepted five smuggling operations from China, seizing more than 70,000 counterfeit Beyblades with an estimated infringement value of NT$34.45 million (US$1.08 million). It added that any bootleg unit that reached the local market could present hidden health hazards to players. Beyblades, a line of spinning toy tops used in competitive gaming and developed in Japan by toy company Takara Tomy, have become popular in Taiwan, making them a target for fraudsters. The Third Special Police Corps, dedicated to safeguarding maritime borders and trade lines,
Five customers who made purchases at 7-Eleven stores across Taiwan won the top NT$10 million (US$313,716) special prize in the July-August uniform invoice lottery, including one who spent just NT$27 on photocopying, the convenience store chain said today. The five special prize winners made their purchases at stores in Taoyuan, Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung, 7-Eleven operator President Chain Store Corp said. The five winning purchases included NT$29 spent on snacks at a store in Taoyuan's Zhongli District (中壢), NT$27 on photocopying at a store in Taipei's Zhongzheng District (中正), NT$139 on City Cafe coffee and daily necessities at a store in Taipei's
RSS