U.S. to sell hi-tech weapons to Taiwan

WASHINGTON, APRIL 1. The United States is to provide weapons, including Aegis, a sophisticated ship-borne radar system, to Taiwan, brushing aside opposition from Beijing, according to a Washington Times report. A formal decision in this regard will be taken by the White House in the next two weeks, the paper said.

``When the decision comes, it will be based on what Taiwan needs to defend itself,'' a White House official told the paper. A confidential review conducted by the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet has recommended the sale of controversial radar systems to Taipei, which China has put at the top of the list of arms it does not want the island nation to have.

Experts familiar with the review told The New York Times that the report concludes that by 2010, Taiwan will need vessels equipped with long-range surface-to-air missiles, a sophisticated battle management system, and a phased array radar. The Chinese oppose the sale of Aegis since it would blunt its missile threat to the island.

The pending decision on arms sales to Taiwan has split Americans. One group says it is foolish to pick up a fight with Beijing before the Bush administration started a dialogue and that Washington's interests would be served by engaging that country, a nuclear power and a growing economy. The other group, the pro- Taiwan conservatives, insist that the U.S. has a moral obligation to defend Taiwan from threats from Beijing.

They also feel that Washington should contain China's growing military power in Asia that would ultimately threaten U.S. allies in the region, including Japan and South Korea. National security advisors at the Pentagon, State Department and National Security Council will give recommendation to the President, Mr. George W. Bush, before taking a final decision on April 23.

- UNI

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Section  : International
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