Friday, September 17, 2010

U.S. congressman urges sale of F-16 C/Ds to Taiwan

Taipei, Sept. 17 (CNA) United States Congressman Edward Royce has urged his government to agree to sell F-16 C/D fighter jets to Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a Friday press release.

The Republican representative from the state of California said in remarks to Congress Sept. 14 that as "Taiwan faces one of the most complex and lethal military threats in the world... Moving forward with the F-16 sale would be an appropriate signal to Taiwan" and the region, according to the MOFA.

Citing the Pentagon's annual report to Congress on Chinese military capabilities released last month, Royce said the report found that "there have been no meaningful actions" on the Chinese side to reduce its military presence, despite the leaders on both sides having been promoting cross-Taiwan Strait engagement.

"If we want cross-strait detente to succeed, Taiwan will have to (operate) from a position of strength, " Royce, who sits on the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, told Congress.

Royce was among over 130 congressmen who wrote to U.S. President Barack Obama in May to ask his administration to "move immediately" on the fighter jet sales as the cross-strait military balance continues to shift in China's favor. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J