Jet export reverses Obama, Bush appeasement of China
The Washington Free Beacon
Date: March 15, 2019
By:: Bill Gertz
The Trump administration has approved the sale of dozens of new F-16 jet fighters to
Two F-16 Fighting Falcon launch flares during an annual drill at a Air Base in Taitung City, Taiwan / Getty Images
Taiwan, the first major warplane sale to the island state in nearly 30 years.
The interagency decision, to be announced in the near future, authorized the sale of up to 66 F-16V jet fighters at an estimated cost of $13 billion, according to administration officials familiar with internal discussions.
The jets are among several new weapons systems, including missiles, that are part of the administration’s latest arms sale to Taiwan, a key U.S. partner in the Asia Pacific region.
The jet sale reverses the Obama administration rejection of Taiwan’s request for the same number of F-15C/D jets over fears of upsetting China. The George W. Bush administration also blocked F-16 sales in 2007, amid worries about triggering a backlash from Beijing. [FULL STORY]
