A senior Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) official said on Monday that the White House is to inform the US Congress early next month of its decision to sell two Perry-class frigates and other military items to Taiwan.
“We [the DPP] will express our gratitude [following the move],” DPP Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said, citing “reliable sources of information.”
He said that according to the terms of the arms sales, the two frigates would still be “hot,” meaning that the vessels have not been mothballed and Taiwan would not have to pay to initiate the reuse of warehoused vessels.
US President Barack Obama authorized the sale of four used frigates and other military hardware to Taiwan late last year, but has yet to notify the US Congress of the sale, delaying the signing of a contract covering the deal.
Once the US Congress approves the White House decision, the DPP would not find a reason to say no, but would rather say “thank you,” Wu said.
An arms sale is a clear and concrete indication of Washingtton’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act, which affirms Washington’s promise to help Taiwan defend itself, said the senior DPP official, who has served as Taiwan’s top envoy to the US.
He said the DPP would send a message to the US regarding the party’s “positive attitude” toward purchasing weapons from the US.
Minister of National Defense Kao Kuang-chi (高廣圻) has told the legislature that he hopes to see the deal finalized by the end of this year so that ministry staff can set off for the US next year and take delivery of the two ships.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said they had no “further information” about the deal and did not know from whom Wu had obtained the information about the notification of the sale.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) yesterday criticized Wu’s comments.
“Is the DPP the governing party now? Are you [Wu] in such a hurry to be minister of national defense?” Lin asked.
Additional reporting by Chang Hsiao-ti
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