Taiwan discusses new arms purchase list with US

May 14, 2010, 7:44 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said Taiwan is discussing a new arms purchase list with the United States to upgrade its defences, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported Friday.

In an interview with CNA, Ma said the two US arms sales to Taiwan since he took office in 2008 were planned 10 years ago and approved before his inauguration.

'We have begun to draw up a new arms purchase list,' CNA quoted him as saying. 'The Defence Ministry is discussing it with the US.'

Defence sales have strained ties between the US and China since Washington announced in January that it was offering Taiwan 6.4 billion dollars of weapons, including helicopters, anti-ship and land attack missiles, and Patriot missile-defence systems.

Taiwan had a 'good relationship' with the US, Ma said, but he added that he understood the US has 'its own strategic considerations' and needed to take wider diplomatic relations into account.

The sale of 'items like F-16C/Ds and submarines are still being evaluated' by the US, he said.

Ma stressed that Taiwan is seeking peace with China, not an arms race.

'Buying weapons is to replace outdated weapons and maintain our defence to a certain level, give us a sense of security and self-confidence, and make Taiwan more willing to hold talks with China,' he said.

'Otherwise, faced with more than 1,000 missiles, it is very hard for us to hold talks with the mainland,' Ma said, referring to missiles Taiwan said China has aimed at the island. 'China understands this.'

Since he took office in May 2008, Ma has taken steps to reduce tension with China like opening sea and air links and allowing Chinese tour groups to visit the island.

He has repeatedly urged China to remove the missiles facing Taiwan as a condition for Taipei's discussing a peace pact with Beijing, so far to no avail.