诺亚方舟漂流记国语:Taiwan seeks US arms sales through Han Kuang ...

来源：百度文库 编辑：九乡新闻网 时间：2024/04/29 02:05:39

Taiwan seeks US arms sales through Han Kuang Exercises

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Taiwan air force IDF fighter jet scrambles from a highway during the Hanguang air force drill in Madou, Tainan city, south of Taiwan, Tuesday, April 12, 2011.


Taiwan has begun its five-day annual military drill to prepare to defend itself. The military muscle-flexing that began on Monday include live-fire drills, including the anti-airborne assault drill, and the anti-amphibious landing drill.


Taiwan's air force landed fighter jets on a stretch of highway in the island's south, an exercise that analysts said was partly aimed at drawing attention in Washington to the island's stalled requests for advanced weapons.


The first drill of its kind in nearly four years comes amid growing concern in Taiwan that Washington is favoring its relations with Beijing over its security commitments to Taiwan.


Ties with Beijing were frozen last year after U.S. President Barack Obama authorized the sale of $6.4 billion in arms, including missile systems and utility helicopters.

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An armed US-made F-16 fighter takes off from the highway in Tainan, southern Taiwan, during a drill Tuesday.

Taiwan's request for new F-16 C/D fighters has been pending since 2006, and upgrades to its aging fleet of F-16 A/Bs, which were sold in 1992, have been on hold since 2009, according to a Congressional Research Service report released in February. Washington also is stalling on Taiwan's long-standing request for diesel-electric submarines.


"The drill shows the administration is trying its best to get F-16 C/Ds, but we already know what to expect from Washington—it will be very, very quiet, to the point of being cold," said former Taiwan “Deputy Defense Minister” and current professor at Tamkang University, Chong Pin Lin.


"After a year of tense relations, Washington and Beijing are currently enjoying a smooth ride, and Washington values that to the point that when the Taiwan issue comes up, it doesn't want to rock the boat," Mr. Lin said.

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Taiwan IDF fighters

Turning a section of the Sun Yat-sen Highway into a landing strip was part of the annual Han Kuang defense exercises that simulated a surprise attack on Taiwan's air bases this year.

Military analysts said the high-profile exercise also was intended to demonstrate Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou's commitment to the island's military strength, amid criticism he has thawed relations with the Chinese mainland too quickly. Since his election in 2008, trade and travel have flourished across the Taiwan Strait.


"What we're seeing is policy drift at the moment. The Obama administration is drawing a peace dividend before peace has broken out," said U.S.-Taiwan Business Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers. He added that "the weaker the U.S. policy, the more likely it is to support Beijing’s [military] adventurism."

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Mirage 2000fighter

Bonnie Glaser, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said she didn't think the U.S. was neglecting the Taiwan relationship and cautioned against viewing the U.S. commitment to Taiwan solely in terms of weapons sales, in particular, large and controversial hardware such as F-16s and submarines.


"It has become very controversial as to whether or not this [F-16 C/D sale] is the right capability for Taiwan," she said. "The question is not whether or not we should continue to defend Taiwan, just what is the most effective way to do that."


She added she expected upgrades to Taiwan's F-16A/B fighters to proceed before Taiwan's general elections next year. She said the weapons sales would likely come with inclusion of Taiwan in an extradition agreement and a visa-waiver policy, to recognize Ma for pursuing policies such as a recent economic agreement with the mainland, which the U.S. supports.


A spokesman for the American Institute in Taiwan, said U.S. defense representatives were observing the Han Kuang exercises, as part of routine interactions with Taiwan. The spokesperson also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to sell arms to Taiwan for its defense under the Taiwan Relations Act.

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Cross-strait obstacles still remain: Ma


There is a glimpse of hope for peace between Taipei and Beijing in the Taiwan Strait, but many obstacles need to be overcome, including cultural differences and Beijing’s military buildup, Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou said yesterday.


Dramatic changes have occurred in cross-strait relations over the past three years, Ma said, adding that following the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) which was signed in June last year, the two sides this year had entered into an “ECFA era” in which tariffs on hundreds of traded goods and services were reduced.


The two sides also signed an agreement on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, which allows Taiwanese films to enter the Chinese mainland market without quota restrictions.


“However, so far no Taiwanese films have been permitted to do so,” he said.

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A Taiwan Air Force's fighter lands on motoway in Han Kuang military drill.


The hit movie Monga for example, was banned from the mainland market, Ma said, because Beijing considers the film to be detrimental to the “good” and “honest” traditions.


“We see that cultural differences between the two sides can affect many things, such as the agreement on IPR protection or exchanges of services,” he said. “There are many difficulties that we have yet to overcome. Nevertheless, we have at least seen the emergence of a peaceful atmosphere between the two sides,” Ma said.


He made the remarks during a meeting at the “Presidential Office” with Taiwan’s delegation to the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, which is headed by former Control Yuan president Fredrick Chien.


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“The main threat comes from the other side of the Taiwan Strait,” Ma said. “We must therefore be prepared for danger in times of peace.”


“That is why we still hold the annual Han Kuang military exercises so the public and the military will be better prepared,” he said.


The goal is to strengthen Taiwan’s defensive capabilities and deter the enemy, Ma said, adding that he wanted to build an armed forces that is small but strong, superior and skillful and can effectively defend the Taiwan Strait.


Chien told Ma he did not expect to meet President Hu Jintao during the Boao Forum, as Hu was expected to attend BRICS summit.


The theme of this year’s Boao Forum, Chien said, was “inclusive development.”


In addition to participating in discussions, the Taiwanese delegation will attend five panel discussions on different topics, he said.


The business roundtable reserved for the two sides will discuss prospects for cross-strait economic cooperation after the signing of the ECFA, he said, adding that the Taiwanese delegation would work for the best interests of Taiwan on behalf of the Ma administration.


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None of the members on the delegation were public officials or represented any government agency, Chien said.


“Vice President” Vincent Siew, who led the delegation to the 2008 Boao Forum before he took the oath of office, urged the administration to treat the event with the importance it deserved, as it provided a rare opportunity for Taiwan to develop connections with the international community and brainstorm solutions for various problems.


As a non-government, non-profit international organization, the Boao Forum For Asia is a premier forum for leaders in government, business and academia in Asia and other continents to share visions on the most pressing issues in this dynamic region and the world at large.


It was initiated in 1998 by former Philippine president Fidel Ramos, former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke and former Japanese prime minister Morihiro Hosokawa, and was formerly inaugurated in February 2001.





The Wall Street Journal/AP/Taipei Times
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