Taiwan to Build Its Own Minesweepers

choi

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Taiwan plans to build six minesweeping naval craft. AFP, Oct. 18, 2010.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2010/10/20/2003486092


-------------------Separately
(1) James A. Lyons, Countering China's aggression; Communist dictatorship presents trouble in Asia and abroad. Washington Times, Oct. 18, 2010.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/18/countering-chinas-aggression/

Quote:

"two presidents have failed to approve the sale of new F-16 aircraft and new conventional submarines to Taiwan  * * * After a year of dallying, the Obama administration has started to stand up to China, but it is not doing enough. Its January arms-sales package to Taiwan was empty without F-16s and submarines.

"The Chinese have begun testing an ABM system at the same time suspicion grows that it is putting multiple warheads on its ICBMs

My comment:
(a) Quote 1 shows at least some in US military support sale of submarines to Taiwan. There were reports during the (Geroge W.) Bush administration that US navy did not want Taiwan to have submarines (supposed reasons: Taiwan Strait is shallow for submarine operation; when US submarines came to aid in the event of China invasion, Taiwan submarines will be in US way, etc.).
(b) Quote 2 indicates China has not deployed multiple warheads.
(c) The author mentions "the Philippines, our only treaty ally in that [ASEAN] region."

Mutual Defense Treaty (U.S.–Philippines)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_Defense_Treaty_(U.S.%E2%80%93Philippines)
(signed in 1951)
(d) There is no need to read the rest of the article. The retired admiral is known to be a hawk, that is all you need to know.

(2)
(a) 俄罗斯修法 打击中国武器盗版. VOA Chinese, Oct. 19, 2010.
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20101019-Russia-Against-Chinese-Arms-105246698.html

(b) 俄罗斯人口普查 统计中国移民. VOA Chinese, Oct. 18, 2010.
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20101810-Russia-Census-105182424.html

(2) 东京占上风?专家指北京外交今不如昔. VOA Chinese, Oct. 18, 2010.
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20101018-CHINA-JAPAN-105219689.html

Note:
(a) Richard C. Bush III was Chairman of the Board and Managing Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (1997-2002).
(b) Kenneth Lieberthal was Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for Asia at the National Security Council,  August 1998 to October 2000.



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