The China Post
Date: July 1, 2017
By: CNA
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The U.S. announcement of arms sales worth US$1.42 billion to Taiwan should ease
Commons/The China Post
doubts about the stability of relations between Taiwan and the United States, Lai I-chung (賴怡忠), an executive board member of Taiwan Thinktank, said Friday.
The package — covering MK-48 torpedoes, high-speed anti-radiation missiles, and standoff precision-guided missiles — will enhance Taiwan’s anti-air, anti-sea and early warning capabilities, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense.
It was the first arms sale to Taiwan announced by Washington since Donald Trump took office as U.S. president on Jan. 20.
Lai, whose think tank is closely aligned with the governing Democratic Progressive Party, said the deal reflected the stable relations between Taiwan and the U.S. but should not be seen as representing an upgrade of the relationship because it was based on Taiwan’s needs.
The announcement, however, “does quash a lot of speculation” over the stability of bilateral relations amid concerns of horse trading between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in the wake of the U.S.-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in Washington held earlier this month in Washington, Lai argued. [FULL STORY]
