Posted on 09/16/2005 5:38:49 PM PDT by LonghornFreeper
Taiwan’s two main opposition parties Sept. 13 blocked a controversial $10-billion arms purchase from the United States even though the ruling party has scaled back the cost of the package $19 billion.
The bill, proposed by the defense ministry, failed to win approval by the procedure committee of the opposition-controlled parliament, a necessary step before it can be heard in the full house.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of President Chen Shui-bian was furious.
“What the Kuomintang and People First Party love to do is to boycott … regardless of Taiwan’s need to defend itself,” the DPP’s parliamentary whip Lai Ching-teh told reporters.
The opposition insisted the arms bill is illegal after the Taiwanese failed to approve the proposed purchase in the island’s first referendum held simultaneously with presidential polls in March 2004. More than 90 percent of referendum voters were in favor of the arms package, but less than 50 percent of the electorate, the required margin, voted.
“According to the referendum, the DPP government must not file the bill within three years,” Kuomintang lawmaker Lai Shyh-bao told AFP.
The defense ministry regretted the result but pledged “to continue communication with parliamentarians.”
The latest version of the arms bill calls for the purchase of eight conventional submarines and 12 P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft from the United States over a 15-year period for around 340 billion Taiwan dollars (10 billion US).The six PAC-3 Patriot anti-missile systems included in the original bill would be financed by the government’s yearly budgets.
Chen said last week that his government would strive to acquire sophisticated weaponry to defend itself against a Chinese invasion.
China has deployed up to 730 ballistic missiles opposite the island which it regards as part of its territory. It threatens to invade if Taiwan declares formal independence.
People First Party chairman James Soong has played down the threat.
“When I visited Beijing in May, China’s President Hu Jintao told me that there would not be any military threat facing Taiwan as long as it does not declare independence,” he said last week.
In December the procedure committee killed the original arms procurement bill, which was priced at more than 610 billion Taiwan dollars ($19 billion).The committee again blocked an amended version of the bill, with spending reduced to 480 billion Taiwan dollars, earlier this year.
Some opposition lawmakers said Taiwan could not afford the arms deal while others said the equipment would be delivered too slowly to enable the island to catch up with China’s military build-up.
Relations between China and Taiwan, which split in 1949 at the end of a civil war, have worsened since independence-leaning Chen was elected president in 2000. He was re-elected last year.
IMHO, the fools who voted this wat are courting disaster and the loss of their freedom.
Like the U.S., Taiwan has a certain percentage of folks who seem hell-bent on their own defeat.
Oh, and if the Taiwanese government expects the US (or others) to come valantly to their defence they might be on the receiving end of a pretty nasty surprise. Many may disagree with me on this, but when/if the fat ever hits the fire over there, the most Taiwan can hope for is probably intel info and a nice 'tsk tsk China' speech at the UN. Hard military backing from us will simply not be there.
Taiwan better not be placing its entire security on a foreign aegis protecting them from China, because no matter what treaties might say most will be too busy cashing in China to send their sons and daughters to protect Taiwan.
I do not care who you are, that title is funny. They really do need to proofread. Shoots Down..Arms Package
Not to make light of the situation.
People First Party chairman James Soong has played down the threat.
“When I visited Beijing in May, China’s President Hu Jintao told me that there would not be any military threat facing Taiwan as long as it does not declare independence,” he said last week..
James Soong sounds just like Neville Chamberlain after meeeting with Hitler in 1938.
Pathetic. And falling right in line with my prediction they will be unified with the mainland without a shot being fired across the straight. The only shots fired will be in the form of a short civil war that leaves the communists in control. If there's any actual shots heard or not.
History teaches that wars begin when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.
-Ronald Reagan
Taiwan's government system is very similar to ours. Chen should pass it by executive order.
You can't judge the US based on Dem obstructionism. Same thing here.
Whether it is political or not doesn't change the fact that the weapons aren't being purchased. The US still has a powerful military despite the Democrats. The same may not be true of Taiwan in ten years.
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