Deputy Minister of National Defense Andrew Nian-zu Yang urged Washington to sell Taipei F-16 C/D fighters and help maintain the balance of military power across the Taiwan Strait.
“The ROC air force is in dire need of the jets,” Yang said, adding that cross-strait peace is in the best interests of Taiwan-U.S. relations.
The deputy minister’s remarks came during an Oct. 4 speech at the ninth U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference held in Cambridge, Maryland.
“Despite the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement and improving cross-strait relations, mainland China’s military deployment against Taiwan has not been reduced,” Yang said.
“Beijing is resorting to soft and hard measures in dealing with cross-strait relations,” he said. “It is attempting to create conflict between the ROC government and the people of Taiwan, while maintaining the threat of military action.”
In the face of this threat, Yang said the ROC government will continue to enhance Taiwan’s self-defense capability while improving cross-strait ties.
The annual conference, which is organized by the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council, will wrap up Oct. 5. More than 140 government officials, scholars, experts and defense industry representatives are attending the three-day event. Issues up for discussion range from the future of cross-strait threats to the ROC military’s new disaster relief mission. (JSM)