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US denies Taipei hi-tech arms
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The United States last night formally offered Taiwan a sweeping package of arms to counter China's military expansion, including destroyers and submarines.
The deal approved by the administration of President George W. Bush--estimated at more than US$4 billion (HK$31.2 billion)--represents the biggest annual offer of weapons to Taiwan since the sale of 150 F-16 fighters in 1992. However, a request for ships with sophisticated naval radar, along with other hi-tech arms, was not approved.
The expected deal with Taipei threatens Sino-US relations, still reeling from this months's spy plane stand-off on Hainan Island. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing expressed serious concern at the news, warning of fresh tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
Acting on recommendations from Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Mr Bush approved the sale of four Kidd-class destroyers, eight diesel-powered submarines and 12 P-3 sub-hunting aircraft.
Significantly, however, the Bush team further deferred a decision on the sale of ships carrying the powerful Aegis battle management radar--a crack system Beijing has made privately clear would be unacceptable.
The Aegis--capable of tracking 100 planes, ships or missiles simultaneously--was the key item on the Taiwan wish-list. It would have been ready by 2009 at the earliest. Also denied were army requests for M-1 tanks and Apache helicopters, with the Bush team clearly wanting to boost the island's troubled navy.
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