Taiwan president urges US to sell it warplanes

Aug 6, 2010, 12:18 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Friday reiterated the request for US F-16C/Ds warplanes, saying Taiwan needs them for its self-defence.

Ma repeated the request while receiving a delegation from the US Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

He said that while while Taiwan improves ties with China, Taipei must continue to buy modern weapons from the United States.

'For example, when we seek to buy high-performance F-16C/Ds from the US, it is not to increase our attack power, but is to replace outdated warplanes .... The US knows it, we know it, and we hope China can know it too,' he said.

Ma said that while Taiwan-US military cooperation is important to Taipei, Taiwan would not ask Americans to fight for it, because it can defend itself and wants to reduce tension in the Taiwan Strait.

'Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the US has made firm commitments to sell Taiwan arms. I believe this is an important basis for cross-Strait peace and for stability in South-East Asia,' he said.

The US dropped Taiwan to recognize China in 1979, but signed the Taiwan Relations Act pledging to continue to sell defensive arms to the island.

Taiwan ordered 150 F-16A/Bs from the US in 1992, but is seeking to buy the more advanced F-16C/Ds to replace the outdated F-16A/Bs.

The US is still evaluating Taipei's request as China has asked Washington to end arms sales to Taiwan, calling them an obstacle to Taiwan-China unification.

Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province, with unification to come about, if necessary, by force.