Taiwan to postpone US weapons purchase

[Pak_Sher]

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: May 10, 2011 22:59 Updated: May 10, 2011 22:59

TAIPEI: Taiwan is postponing purchases of US-made Black Hawk helicopters and Patriot air defense systems that are part of a $6.4 billion US weapons package that has been strongly opposed by China, officials said Tuesday.

A lawmaker said the delay was caused by budgetary shortfalls, while the Defense Ministry blamed it on manufacturing delays. Lin Yu-fang, a ruling Nationalist Party lawmaker on the legislature's defense committee, said the government is either delaying purchases of new items or postponing payments for existing programs because of the funding shortfall.

The procurement of six Patriot missile systems has been pushed back from 2014 to 2017 and 60 Black Hawk helicopters from 2016 to 2019 or 2020, he said.

Taiwan to postpone US weapons purchase - Arab News

 

[oct605032048]

Better save money for the youth and the poor than on defensive toys, for both sides of the Strait.

 

[ao333]

The US' way of saying we take our "Economic and Strategic Dialogue" seriously. I expect slight currency revaluation in reciprocation.

 

[oct605032048]

And the Beijing's way of saying it is that 'we value the situation at present between the two sides' as Hu told Mr. Wu, the Chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party or KMT sometime earlier in Beijing.

 

[Obambam]

Ma Ying-jeou's run for re-election would mean purchasing useless military technology would be set aside for a better China-Taiwan relationship.
People of Taiwan is currently enjoying the trade relationship and access into China's market. The last they want is to cause further unnecessary conflicts or to deteriorate the ground work that was laid down by the Ma's pro China party.