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Taiwan Opposition Blocks Arms Bill Despite US Security Warning
Taipei (AFP) Oct 31, 2006 Taiwan's opposition blocked a controversial arms bill again on Tuesday despite a US warning that the country must develop its military capability to combat the growing threat from China. 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. Meanwhile, dozens of slogan-chanting activists scuffled with police while trying to push their way into parliament, demanding legislators scrap the bill. The protestors also demanded the ouster of Stephen Young, the de facto US ambassador to Taipei, after he sternly pushed for Taiwan's parliament to approve the bill. The defense ministry said Tuesday the result was "regrettable". It marked the 62nd time the bill has been shot down. The ministry defended the bill saying "it is by no means aimed at an arms race with the Chinese communists. Rather it is intended to build up a reliable self-defense force, thus laying a solid foundation of safety and peace for our offsprings into the next decades." It also called attention to China's timeframe of "solving the Taiwan problem" by 2020. Young, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, had warned, "the United States is watching closely and will judge those who take responsible position as well as those who play politics on this critical issue." In what opposition legislators described as an "ultimatum" to Taipei, Young said: "Taiwan needs to pass the robust defense budget in this fall's legislative session." China has repeatedly threatened to invade Taiwan should the island declare formal independence. The island and Chinese mainland split in 1949 at the end of a civil war. The arms bill called for the purchase of eight conventional submarines and 12 P-3C aircraft. The six PAC-3 Patriot anti-missile systems as well as upgrades of the existing three PAC-2 Patriot systems included in the original bill would be financed by the government's yearly budgets. The arms package has repeatedly been blocked by Taiwan's legislature even though it was scaled down from the original 16 billion dollars. Some opposition lawmakers say Taiwan cannot afford the arms while others say the submarines would be delivered too slowly to enable the island to keep pace with China's military build-up.
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Taiwan President Calls For Deterrent Against China Military Threat
Taipei (AFP) Oct 31, 2006Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian on Monday underlined his belief that the country must rapidly develop its military capability to combat the growing threat from China. Speaking to Japanese politicians and scholars in Tokyo via video conference, Chen said: "History shows that any peace agreement without the backing of a strong national defense force would eventually turn out to be empty words. Such agreements could be scrapped easily by invaders." |
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