Taiwan's Ma: Ties with China won't stop arms purchase

Jul 12, 2008, 14:45 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou said Saturday that Taipei won't stop buying arms from the United States just because Taipei-Beijing ties are improving.

'I have expressed support for buying necessary defensive arms on many occasions. Taiwan's policy is consistent, the parliament has passed the budget and we have told the US through various channels,' Ma said while having lunch with reporters.

'Buying defensive arms is vital for Taiwan's defence and the Taiwan military cannot wait. This (arms purchase policy) will not change just because our ties with China have improved,' he said.

Ma said that in the US government there are conflicting views regarding arms sale to Taiwan. 'There is nothing we can do about that, but Taiwan's policy has not changed,' he said.

Ma was responding to a report in the Taiwan's United Daily News that said Washington was unhappy about Taiwan's delaying an arms purchase from the US so as not to hurt improved Taipei-Beijing ties, and that US President George W Bush had frozen arms sales to Taiwan.

Taiwan's eight arms purchase deals are awaiting approval by the US State Department, but it is unclear if the US can authorize the deals during Bush's term, the Central News Agency said.

The eight deals cover the purchase of Apache military helicopters, anti-tank missiles, upgrades of the PAC anti-missile system, F-16 components, P-3C anti-submarine aircraft, harpoon missiles plus the feasibility study on the US' building eight conventional subs for Taiwan.

Also on Saturday, President Ma criticized China for changing the name under which the Taiwan team would be attending the Beijing Olympics.

Ma said China's changing 'Chinese-Taipei' to 'China-Taipei' would cause controversy, and he has instructed the departments concerned to contact China to use the correct Olympic name for Taiwan.

'Taiwan and China reached a consensus long ago on Chinese-Taipei. China should stop making interpretations because that can only cause controversy,' Ma said while having lunch with reporters.

Taiwan lost its seat in the United Nations and most UN-related organizations in 1971, but was later allowed to remain in the International Olympic Committee under the name of Chinese-Taipei.