USA: Taiwan opposition presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen calls for the U.S. to decide about a deal to sell 66 Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighters

Record ID: 785293

  • Title: USA: Taiwan opposition presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen calls for the U.S. to decide about a deal to sell 66 Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighters
  • Date: 14th September 2011
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 13, 2011) (REUTERS) DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE PARTY (DPP) CHAIRPERSON TSAI ING-WEN WALKING TO PODIUM CUTAWAY AUDIENCE WIDESHOT TSAI AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE PARTY CHAIRPERSON TSAI ING-WEN, SAYING: "Of course, we have been making requests to the United States for this advanced aircraft and a number of items that we think is essential to our defense and we also want to have a better, not really a better, a greater relationship in the trade area with the United States. But, let me talk about defense first, I mean, despite we (made) so many requests and we urge you to make a decision to provide us with the necessary weapons, but at the same time, we ourselves have to make the determination that we want to defend ourselves adequately." CUTAWAY AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE PARTY CHAIRPERSON TSAI ING-WEN, SAYING: "U.S. support for Taiwan has been critical for the peaceful involvement that has enabled prosperity and development. The people of Taiwan and the DPP cherish this relationship and will continue to play our part in nurturing this strategic partnership. From the U.S., we hope that our friends will recognize the anxieties that Taiwanese people feel about regional balance and marginalization and while preoccupied with other interests around the world, we expect the U.S. should keep Taiwan on the agenda."
  • Embargoed: 29th September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa, Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABHTFVKZYT7MMU0B1MZHKT8MAY
  • Story Text: Speaking at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington on Tuesday (September 13), Taiwan opposition presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen called on the U.S. government to make a decision about whether it would sell F-16 fighters to Taiwan.
    "We urge you to make a decision to provide us with the necessary weapons," she said. "We have been making requests to the United States for this advanced aircraft and a number of items that we think is essential to our defense and we also want to have a better, not really a better, a greater relationship in the trade area with the United States," she added.
    On Monday (September 13), two U.S. senators had introduced legislation to require the Obama administration to sell 66 Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighters to Taiwan, a step that would anger China.
    Taiwan hopes to buy the aircraft, a sale potentially valued at more than $8 billion, and intends to phase out its remaining F-5 fighters.
    But China has warned repeatedly against the sale of F-16 C/D fighters to Taiwan, and last week China's official newspaper warned that "madmen" on Capitol Hill were playing with fire on the issue.
    On the broader issue, Tsai, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson, also called for a Taiwanese defense policy.
    "At the same time, we ourselves have to make the determination that we want to defend ourselves adequately," she said.
    During her remarks to the conservative-leaning think tank, Tsai highlighted the importance of U.S.-Taiwan relations.
    "From the U.S., we hope that our friends will recognize the anxieties that Taiwanese people feel about regional balance and marginalization and while preoccupied with other interests around the world, we expect the U.S. should keep Taiwan on the agenda," she said.
    Tsai is running against incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou of the Nationalist, or Kuomintang KMT.L, party. Ties with China have improved rapidly since Ma took office in 2008 and signed a series of landmark trade and tourism agreements with Beijing.
    Ma will be defending his efforts to draw closer to the mainland against the opposition DPP, which is wary of Beijing and has favored independence-leaning policies.
    "We hope that the internationally community including China would develop an understanding if not appreciation of how our democracy functions. The DPP's return to government is inevitable and will happen hopefully sooner than later," Tsai said.
    During her remarks, Tsai stressed the need for consensus among all Taiwanese people regarding policies dealing with China.
    "You need a strong consensus among ourselves. This is what I meant by a Taiwanese consensus. People have to sit down and face reality and try to find a way to form a basic position before we go to China for negotiation," she said.
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