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Taiwan arms sale moves to Congress
NO SURPRISES: US President Barack Obama notified Congress
of the sale. China suspended US military exchanges and imposed sanctions on US
companies
By William Lowther
STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON
Sunday, Jan 31, 2010, Page 1
A child runs past a torpedo on display outside
the Taiwan Armed Forces Museum in Taipei yesterday. The administration of US
President Barack Obama notified Congress on Friday of its first proposed arms
sale to Taiwan, a potential US$6.4 billion package.
PHOTO: PICHI CHUANG, REUTERS
US President Barack Obama officially notified US Congress on Friday that he
would sell more than US$6 billion in weapons to Taiwan, but as was widely
predicted, he did not include advanced F-16 fighter planes in the latest arms
package.
There were no big surprises in the announcement, which the Obama administration
first signaled weeks ago.
While there was no mention in the latest notification of Taiwan’s request for
design work on diesel-electric submarines, US defense sources said it was still
under consideration.
China said yesterday it was suspending military exchanges and security talks
with Washington and would impose sanctions on US firms involved in the arms
deal.
The Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement that in protest at the US
decision on weapons sales to Taiwan it was suspending military exchanges, along
with scheduled high-level talks on strategic security, arms control and
non-proliferation.
Obama is proposing five separate sales: 60 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters,
costing US$3.1 billion; 114 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) missiles, radar
sets and other related equipment and services, costing US$2.81 billion; 10
RTM-84L Harpoon missiles along with 2 ATM-84L Harpoon missiles and other related
equipment, costing US$37 million; 2 refurbished Osprey-class mine-hunting ships,
costing US$105 million and finally 35 Multifunctional Information Distribution
Systems and other related equipment, costing US$340 million.
Congress now has 30 days to comment before the sales go forward, but analysts
say there is unlikely to be any serious objection.
The Associated Press said the sale satisfied parts of a US$11 billion arms
package originally pledged to Taiwan by former US president George W. Bush in
2001, which has been provided in stages because of political and budgetary
considerations in Taiwan and the US.
Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business Council, said: “The
Obama administration has left an urgent matter unaddressed in the form of the
F-16s. In the absence of a decision on this issue, it will continue to cause
tensions in the triangular relationship between the US, Taiwan and China
throughout 2010.”
“President Ma Ying-jeou’s [馬英九] ability to continue to engage the Chinese is
becoming increasingly tenuous in the face of a resurgent Democratic Progressive
Party and a China playing a hedge strategy with its economic carrot and its
military stick,” he said. “Strong support for Taiwan strengthens both our own
and Taiwan’s standing with China, sends a strong signal about America’s
commitment to Asia, and fortifies America’s core interests — peace and security
in the Taiwan Strait.”
That said, the US Taiwan Business Council pointed out in a three-page statement
that the Black Hawk sales were particularly welcome as Taiwan’s need for
replacement helicopters was “acute both for military and disaster relief
operations.”
A senior US official speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Taiwan’s
request for 66 F-16C/D fighters was still under consideration, but refused to
say when a decision was likely.
He added: “We have discussed that with them [Taipei] on a variety of occasions
and we’re in the process of assessing Taiwan’s needs and requirements for that
capability.”
US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said: “This is a clear
demonstration of the commitment that this administration has to provide Taiwan
the defensive weapons it needs and as provided for in the Taiwan Relations Act.
“We think that this action is consistent with the US one-China policy based on
three joint communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act, and contributes to
maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Crowley said the Obama administration did not consult with China before
deciding on the sales, but said Beijing had been informed that notification of
the sales was going to Congress.
Asked if the decision not to sell F-16s was based on concerns about the Chinese
reaction, Crowley said: “No. It was based on our evaluation of the defensive
needs of Taiwan.”
The US Taiwan Business Council expressed its concern about stacking multiple
congressional notifications into groups, as well as the increased stretches of
time between the notifications.
“In Taipei, US indecision undermines Taiwan’s attempts to provide for its own
defense and can result in unused budgeted funds that must be returned to the
treasury at the end of each year,” the statement said.
It added that uncertainty about the arms sales programs, their timing and
content, raised doubts about US commitments to Taiwan and could lead Beijing
into “miscalculations regarding American resolve in the Taiwan Strait.”
The council said: “The Chinese reflexively oppose all arms sales to Taiwan,
irrespective of platform or system. Consequently, the Chinese reaction to this
package of notifications has been, and will likely continue to be, both broad
and shrill.
“While the Chinese cannot overturn the programs that were notified today, they
almost certainly believe that they can make enough of a fuss to discourage the
Obama administration from making further decisions regarding arms sales to
Taiwan — particularly on the possible follow-on sale of F-16s.”
The Council predicts a long delay before Obama makes a final decision on the
F-16 sale.
“China recognizes the tactical advantage this delay is creating and is
attempting to raise the stakes in Washington in an attempt to kill consideration
completely,” the council said.
“If China is able — with its actions, tantrums and threats to ‘spook’ the Obama
administration into indefinite delay, then China has achieved its goal and
Taiwan’s ability to control its own airspace will start to dramatically wane,”
it said.
Yesterday Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei (何亞非) warned US ambassador to
China, Jon Huntsman, that the arms deal could jeopardize bonds with Washington.
“The United States’ announcement of the planned weapons sales to Taiwan will
have a seriously negative impact on many important areas of exchanges and
cooperation between the two countries,” He said.
He said the arms sales were “crude interference in China’s domestic affairs and
seriously harm China’s national security,” words notably tougher than Beijing’s
recent statements on the issue.
“This will lead to repercussions that neither side wishes to see,” he said.
He urged the US to halt the planned sales.
In a later statement, China’s foreign ministry said: “Cooperation between China
and the US on key international and regional issue will also inevitably be
affected.”
“China will also implement relevant sanctions on US companies involved in the
arms sales to Taiwan,” it said.
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