+FormationLiaoning+escort+group+4+incl.+subs+Type+052D+Guided+Missile+Destroyer,+Type+052C+,+Peoples+Liberation+Army+Navy+5+Type+052C+Type+052D+destroyers+(7).jpg)
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said on Thursday the U.S. government was stalling in replying to Taiwan's request for F-16 jet fighters because of displeasure from China, which claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island.
Taiwan is seeking a $4.9 billion deal for 66 advanced F-16s to modernise its military as China's armed forces grow. The U.S. government has said it is reviewing Taiwan's defence needs and has made no commitment to a sale.
"We still hope to acquire F-16 jet fighters to replace the ageing fighters we have, but so far we haven't received a positive answer from the United States, partly because of the opposition from the Chinese," Ma told reporters.
China has claimed self-ruled Taiwan as its own since 1949, when Mao Zedong's forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists (KMT) fled to the island. Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary.
The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China 30 years ago, recognising "one China", though it remains Taiwan's biggest ally and arms supplier and is obliged by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to help with its defence.
Since his election in 2008, Ma has sought to ease tension with China through trade and transit talks. But he has denounced the 1,000 to 1,500 short-range and medium-range missiles China is believed to have aimed at the island.
Taiwan first asked to buy new F-16s in 2007 after approving substantial funding for the aircraft.
China opposes all U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, a position Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu reaffirmed on Thursday, though without saying if Beijing had formally taken up the F-16s case with Washington.
"We adamantly oppose the United States, or any other country, selling weapons to Taiwan," Ma told a regular news briefing.
The commanding officer of the U.S. aircraft carrier, USS George Washington, said in Hong Kong the United States wanted improved communications with the Chinese navy in the Pacific following minor skirmishes in the South China Sea.
Five times this year, Chinese vessels have confronted U.S. surveillance ships in Asian waters, the U.S. Defense Department said in May. China said the U.S. vessels had intruded into its territory and in August called on the United States to halt all air and sea surveillance.
"Some of the skirmishes might be a slight misunderstanding of 'I don't know what each other's doing'," said Captain David Lausman, who heads the 100,000-tonne flagship of the Seventh Fleet.
Lausman said improved bilateral naval ties could be brought about in "small steps" like co-operating on anti-piracy and rescue missions, rather than through big exercises alone.
(Reporting by Kevin Plumberg; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing and James Pomfret in Hong Kong; Editing by Nick Macfie)
16 comments:
Now Taiwan will realize the real truth behind dragons friendship drama.
china will opposite any weapons supply to taiwan ,but they will supply arms to pakistan to attack india , good policy good govt. very good because they want to capture taiwan just like that,
world already saw misadventure by iraq on Kuwait. The rise and fall of china is very near, when they touch taiwan.
as a people of taiwan we really hate china and its rule.
China doesn't have the balls to attack Taiwan, since ass soon as its troops and forces are deployed towards Taiwan, India will launch a full scale war.
All top D/A's know, Chinas a bluffer, and One Nimitz carrier group is enough to have the Chinese cowarding.
Prime example, when 100,000 Japs defeated 1,000,000 Chinese in 1 week.
Chinese are weak and hated by all its neighbours. Chinas F'ed
@ Anony 10:20
China opposes arms sales to Taiwan because they see it as their own territory, whether it sees it as true or not. Are you saying India sees Pakistan as it's own territory then?
The comparison you made is not similar enough.
And China would only invade Taiwan if Taiwan declared independence I'm pretty sure that's been made clear. It's wishful thinking to compare China's military power to Iraq's two decades ago, never mind it's economic influence.
@ Anony 7:51
Please, let's not make everything about India. India won't attack China because China attacks Taiwan. The issues are completely unrelated. Besides the Chinese-Taiwanese relationship is good for both sides, economically so it's unlikely China would want to attack Taiwan anyway.
The NImitz cv group I assume you're talking about the previous Taiwan strait incident. Let's just say that China's area denial weapons are far superior now, and it would be stupid for the US to send a cv group into the strait with the weapons (ASBM, AShM, Subs, FAC's) at China's disposal compared to a decade ago.
And the remark about the japanese thing I assume is in WWII. That's harsh man. That is really harsh. It's like saying the Germans were able to destroy "x" number of russians in operation barbossa.
I won't comment about China supposedly being hated, because I think that no country actually "likes" another, and "hating" is really mistrusting. I believe you mean that "some of China's neighbours citizens hate it" - would be more accurate.
Still, your passion on the subject is amusing.
The top 3 comments are really just a bunch of BS and unintelligent, I hope the blog's author removes them to increase the quality of this otherwise well presented blog. Also, u guys need to learn real english since I'm assuming u want to kiss America's ass?
India launch full scale war against China? Since when are they suicidal? Care to shed a light?
It's peaceful reunification - "peace through superior firepower" as Americans would say it. Besides why would US sell advance weaponary to Taiwan to be captured by China later? Taiwan can be a SAR, so no need to fear.
india attacking china,or launching a full scale attack on it,is a big JOKE.LOL
Actually by the rate China and India are going now, the Chinese and Indians might be have the largest bilateral trade this decade, along with alot of strategic partnership.
India and Chinas bilateral trade is 30 times larger than Pakistan and Chinas, While the Pakis claim China is their Brother.
I think its the exact opposite. India and China are just long lost brother, waiting to be reunified.
To,ANON 6:29 PM ,
Yes i know you are real mongrel of china with reverse engg works . first u try improve your butler english aaaaasshole .
to, Blogger Eric Z said...
@ Anony 10:20
China opposes arms sales to Taiwan because they see it as their own territory, whether it sees it as true or not. Are you saying India sees Pakistan as it's own territory then?
first u should realize taiwan & Tibet is not a part of china .
Tibet is illegally captured by china
Taiwan - china willing to capture same way illegally at any movement , this could end the history of china . do not forget eagles
and moreover india doesn't have similar way of china policy , india is not interested to claim porkistan as its own country .
@ Anony 11:16
Whether it's illegal or not is a matter of opinion. It's not your place to say whether something is right or not.
So I can just say "First you must realize Tibet and Taiwan are part of China". And your argument would be moot, as would mine.
If you're going to have an argument about "oh it's my territory not yours" then the discussion would not get anywhere because the simple fact is that it's a conflict of interest.
In China's eyes tibet was reclaimed after a long period of civil war and fighting (see the time before the chinese civil war), and it was justified.
You can't say "oh that move was illegal". Then you may as well say "oh the europeans going to the american continent was illegal, they should all move out".
I wasn't accusing India of wanting Pakistan as it's own country but I meant that the situations (India and pakistan vs China and Taiwan) are completely different so the comparison of China selling arms to Pakistan does not mean it is hypocrisy on China's side (in this matter at least).
And what the hell anyway. Where the hell did we get India from? This is an article about American arms being sold to Taiwan, not anything about India. Sheesh.
I mean does anyone here seriously think that if China attacks Taiwan, that India would attack China?
You should really start looking at the situation from China's point of view with some sense instead of wanting to hate the Peoples Republic just for the sake of hating it.
Yes we realized , Tibet / Taiwan is not belongs to india/china/nepal/burma. if u have something to say on history , we also have many reasons .
we strongly support 'FREE TIBET' - GO Back pandas , we want Tibetans should live happy. pandas should try to live in place which is belongs to them , not in others property .
You know if you're basing the whole argument on "that place is not yours" then it's practically useless, because I can then say "that place is ours".
Whether it's "legal" or "right" or whatever is completely up to interpretation.
There is no real right or wrong in sovereignty.
guys i dont believe china needs to attack to take taiwan,,,,,it will be wastage of money and time and resources and also will create havoc!!!!!!!
what china is doing right now is more better way of taking taiwan!!!! check dis out u dont need to attack to capture rather grow trade to capture the land,,,, growing dependence of a country on another is better rather going to war!!!!! my suggestion to check out the % of trade done by taiwan with china u'll see it ur self that in the near future china will take taiwan.... this does not mean militarily neither force fully but due to dependence on the main land!!!!!
i just want to know why is pk is dragged into it,,,,,, indians have a problem,,,,, first dramatically bring themselves in the scenario,,, of which no one gives a crap about and then starts bringing pakistan in!!!! now WTF???? this show that india is still afraid of pakistan!!!!!
you never name an entity of which u do not care of rather discuss about those with which u r afraid or u think of them as better then u!!!!!
"India is not interested to claim porkistan as its own country ."
now this statement shows how illiterate the person is..... dude there are many things which i can say as well ( E.g bund hai matram, gay india etc) so please keep that bullshit comments to urself and shove it up ur ass
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