WHILE the world media are actively engrossed in the events surrounding Georgia or the Olympics, many in Taiwan are concerned with national defense.
Following media reports speculating on the status of Taiwan’s $11 billion weapons package from the US, a cross section of Taiwanese society expressed opinions over the deal and its implications for their own security and that of the Asia-Pacific region.
On Aug. 5, the leaders of 19 Taiwanese-American groups sent a joint letter to US President George W. Bush urging him to approve the arms deal in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act, which requires the United States to provide Taiwan with the arms needed for self-defense.
The document, delivered to Bush ahead of his departure for Beijing to attend the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games, stated that “owing to the real and grave threat posed by mainland China’s rapid military build-up, Taiwan needs to maintain reliable national defense ability and keep its 23 million people from living in fear of being attacked.”
The groups reminded Bush not to forget Taiwan, a “beacon of democracy,” which he pledged to help defend itself through weapons sales in 2001. They quoted part of the president’s second inaugural address in which he said the “survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands.” The letter stressed that the success of liberty cannot be found in mainland China, but has been achieved in Taiwan across the strait.
Speculation has been rife in recent months that improving cross-strait relations and Beijing’s objections to the weapons deal, which includes Apache and Blackhawk helicopters, diesel-electric submarines and Patriot air defense missile batteries, have prompted the Bush administration to delay the final approval of the deal. But the State Department spokesman Sean McCormack denied this on July 18 and stated that there had been no change in Washington’s policy on arms sales to the island.
Lin Yu-fang, chairman of the Legislative Yuan’s Diplomacy and National Defense Committee, pointed out that both Taiwan and the United States must share some of the blame for creating uncertainty over US arms sales to the island. As the head of the ROC government delegation that visited Washington on Aug. 2 for talks with US officials, congressmen and think tanks, Lin said there had been many “misunderstandings” between the two nations over the issue.
“I am pessimistic about the current US administration’s willingness to approve the arms deal,” Lin said. “The final decision might be passed on to the new US president, and the process will have to start all over again.”
But the president of the ROC Legislature, Wang Jin-pyng, stated on Aug. 5 after a trip to Washington that he was fully confident the United States would proceed with the weapons deal after the Beijing Olympics. “The passage of the procurement package is actually a ‘matter of course’ since it has been approved by the US president, its budget has been passed by the ROC Legislature and relevant preparations are almost all in place.”
Wang flew to the United States following President Ma Ying-jeou’s assertion that weaponry for defense purposes was vital to the security of Taiwan. He added that improved ties with Beijing would not halt the purchase of weapons.
In a series of nationwide polls conducted earlier this month by local news outlets, more than 80 percent of respondents believe Taiwan plays a vital role in the Asia-Pacific region and its security affects the stability of the entire region. They also indicated that the island needs more advanced weapons to defend its territory and maintain the nation’s democratic system and their freedoms.
John Tkacik Jr., senior research fellow with the Washington-based Heritage Foundation, pointed out that arms sales from Washington to Taiwan should rest on Taiwan’s defense requirements, rather than pressure from mainland China. He added that the Bush administration should reiterate its support for maintaining the military balance of power in the Taiwan Strait.
According to Chang Ya-chung, a professor of political science at National Taiwan University, US intentions over the issue remains unclear. “Bush still needs (mainland) China’s cooperation in the international arena before he steps down,” he said.
“Furthermore, as the economic appeal of (mainland) China cannot be ignored, it is probably unlikely that the US president will approve the arms sales before the end of his tenure.”
While George Bush is bellicose on Russia’s intrusion into a much weaker neighbor, will he do the right thing in Taiwan so that a much stronger China does not threaten its small neighbor?
