President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday urged Washington to “seriously consider” selling Taiwan F-16C/D fighter aircraft, just days after the Pentagon released a report on the Chinese military that concluded that the military balance of power in the Taiwan Strait is continuing to shift in China’s favor.
The report warned that despite efforts by Ma’s administration to increase economic and cultural ties with China, Beijing’s military buildup has continued unabated.
Ma said the aim of purchasing the F-16s was not to wage war, but to strengthen defense capabilities.
“The advanced fighter aircraft we seek to purchase from the US are for defensive purposes and Taiwan’s security,” he said while meeting US Senator Roland Burris at the Presidential Office.
“Our American friends can rest assured that the aircraft would be only for defense purposes and national security,” he said.
“We think the best way to resolve disputes is through peaceful means, which will be our first priority in resolving cross-strait differences,” he said.
It was the third time in less than three weeks that Ma made such an appeal to the US government.
Ma said his efforts over the past two years to improve cross-strait relations and lower tensions in the Strait should reassure the US that it would not be drawn into a war over Taiwan.
The government applied to the US to buy 66 F-16C/D fighters in early 2007, but observers say Washington has held up the deal for fear of angering Beijing.
Meanwhile, Ma told the Sankei Shimbun on Wednesday that “Taiwan will maintain good military ties with the United States, including continuing to purchase weapons from the US.”
He also said that Taiwan would continue to hone its defensive skills by conducting military exercises.
During the interview with the Japanese business daily, the president emphasized the importance of the Japan-US security treaty, saying that it has since formed the bedrock of peace and stability in East Asia.
The security treaty was first signed in 1951 and then renewed in 1960.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA AND AFP
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