Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) urged the US on Thursday to approve the sale of F-16 fighter aircraft to Taiwan, saying the nation needs to acquire the aircraft to defend itself against China's military threat.
Wu made the remarks during an interview with US cable TV station C-span, in the wake of a Defense News report that the administration of US President George W. Bush has refused to sell 66 F-16C/D fighter aircraft requested by Taiwan.
The report said Washington is unhappy with Taiwan's unwillingness to approve funding for diesel-electric submarines, P-3C maritime patrol aircraft and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 anti-missile batteries from the US.
Wu said that the production of J-10A fighter aircraft by China has significantly upgraded China's air force and directly threatens the security of Taiwan.
With China continuing to expand its military deployments targeting Taiwan, the number of short-range ballistic missiles deployed by China along its coast opposite Taiwan has increased from several hundred to more than 1,000, Wu said. The number of submarines China has exceeded its needs, he said.
Wu said that not only Taiwan, but other countries have also felt China's military ambitions, citing the anti-satellite test recently carried out by China as an example.
Wu admitted that the Bush administration's refusal to approve the F-16C/D fighter aircraft sales is related to the delay of the previous arms procurement package, but said the legislature is expected to pass part of the budget in the new legislative session.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Friday condemned Chinese and Russian authorities for escalating regional tensions, citing Chinese warplanes crossing the Taiwan Strait’s median line and joint China-Russia military activities breaching South Korea’s air defense identification zone (KADIZ) over the past two days. A total of 30 Chinese warplanes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Thursday and Friday, entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern airspace in coordination with 15 naval vessels and three high-altitude balloons, the MAC said in a statement. The Chinese military also carried out another “joint combat readiness patrol” targeting Taiwan on Thursday evening, the MAC said. On
Singapore is to allow imports of Taiwanese raw pork for the first time in 15 years, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday. The Singapore Food Agency has approved imports of fresh pork produced by New Taipei City-based Cha I Shan Foods, which had obtained a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification from the ministry to export to Singapore, it said. The ministry said it had hoped Singapore would permit Taiwanese fresh pork imports in addition to processed pork products. Singapore agreed to accept Taiwanese fresh pork after completing a document review and a virtual tour of Cha I Shan Foods’ packing
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Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said the city “does not tolerate violence” after the Taipei City Council reported death threats over a planned screening today of a documentary on alleged forced organ harvesting in China. The council’s report follows a flurry of similar threats targeting theaters and institutions screening the documentary, titled State Organs, which accuses Chinese officials of harvesting organs from incarcerated dissidents and Falun Gong members. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) city councilors who planned to screen the film told a news conference earlier yesterday that the organizers of the screening had received a threat of a knife attack signed
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