Trump's Arm Sales to Taiwan?

choi

Latest First (several from today).

(1) 钟辰芳, 美媒指川习会后美将对台军售 交易前喊价？  VOA Chinese, Mar 15, 2017.
www.voachinese.com/a/us-taiwan-arm-sale-20170315/3767895.html

Quote:

"有美国媒体报道说，川普政府将在这个会面后宣布一批对台军售。由于川普被认为擅于交易，对台军售是否也是美中领导人会面“交易前的喊价”也引发质疑。

"布鲁金斯学会东亚政策中心主任卜睿哲(Richard Bush) [Richard C Bush III was chairman of the board of American Institute in Taiwan (1997-2002)] 星期三受 [VOA Chinese] 访时说，过去台湾议题美方通常是由中方先提出然后被动回应，这次是否如此则无法得知。不过他认为，台湾不会是优先议题。 卜睿哲说：'我认为朝鲜是第一个议题，贸易是第2'

"至于在美中领导人会面前传出对台军售的消息，是否有可能也是川普在与习近平进行交易前的喊价，卜睿哲说，他难以猜测这是否川普团队在发信号。 卜睿哲说：'这很难猜测，一个疑问是，这个消息从哪里来？是川普团队 "释放信号"(signaling campaign)的一部分，还是来自其他真正对这件事有兴趣和利益的人。'

(2) 陈民峰, 美国对台军售案包含可配挂于F-16的高速反辐射飞弹. 法广, Mar 15, 2017.
http://cn.rfi.fr/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B ... 4%E9%A3%9E%E5%BC%B9

two consecutive paragraphs:

"来自台湾的消息则指出，欧巴马政府并不是阻挡了新一批对台军售，只是面临政权交接时刻，没有把总金额10亿美元的对台军售案送交国会通过，而是留给新政府做决定。

"据了解，这批军售金额不大，但包含了少量射程达100公里以上的AGM-154联合遥攻武器（JSOW）与AGM-88 HARM高速反辐射飞弹。这正是台湾军方希望优先向美国采购的四种飞弹的其中两款，用来搭配性能提升的F-16V型战机，藉以反制中共的防空飞弹与雷达。

Note:
(a) JSOW and HARM stand for "Joint Standoff Weapon" and "High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile," respectively. The names say it all.
(b) Though en.wikipedia.org says, in the page for AGM-88 HARM, that Taiwan is an "operator" of this missile, my search in the Web shows that US has never sold it to Taiwan.  
(c) In the page for "AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon," Wiki says Taiwwan is not an operator.
(d) VOA Chinese says, "射程达100公里以上的AGM-154联合遥攻武器（JSOW）."

Not 射程; "glide range."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-154_Joint_Standoff_Weapon

, whose section 5 General characteristics also list
"Range:
• Low altitude launch - 12 nmi (22 km)
• High altitude launch - 70 nmi (130 km)"

(3) 高锋, 美媒指特朗普将宣布对台军售. Radio Free Asia, Mar 15, 2017.
www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/congress-us-03152017095015.html

Quote:

(a) "台湾政治大学国际关系研究中心主任丁树范 * * *：* * * [Taowan is not among priorities for China. Reasons:] 中国经济现在很糟糕，放慢了速度，6.5% （经济增长预期目标）有灌水的成份。这些东西弄得不好，可能会影响到十九大的安排。 [He offers no evidence.]

(b) "特朗普和中国国家主席习近平，可望下月在美国佛罗里达州会面，报道相信华府不会在这日子前，公布军售细节。

"台湾国家政策研究基金会高级助理研究员揭仲估计，无论两人会面能否达致成果，美国都会向台湾出售更多防御武器。

"揭仲：到目前为止，川普（特朗普）政府很多涉及国安的官员，其实都没有到位。在这种状况下，我并不太认为，在这次碰面，会达到甚么重大的成果。如果真的有这个军售案，在两人碰面之前不公布，可以理解，因为不想让气氛搞坏。如果（会面）没有达成甚么成果，我觉得以川普的个性，未必会在这个时候，作出很大的反转。他可能还是会批准其中一些（军售）项目。

Note: "財團法人國家政策研究基金會，簡稱國政基金會，成立於2000年7月29日，總部位於臺灣臺北市，是中國國民黨的智庫。"  zh.wikipedia.org

choi

Bill Gertz, Obama White House Blocked Needed US Arms Sale to Taiwan; Trump set to sell more arms. Washington Free Beacon, Mar 14, 2017.
http://freebeacon.com/national-s ... s-arms-sale-taiwan/

Quote:

"The Obama administration blocked a $1 billion arms sale to Taiwan in December [for $1b, without identifying what would be sold in this report] that was needed to improve the island's defenses despite approval from the State Department and Pentagon, according to Trump administration officials.

"The new Trump administration is now preparing to provide more and better defensive arms to Taiwan, said administration officials familiar with internal discussions of the arms sale.  The new arms package, however, is not expected to be made public until after Trump meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping [early] next month.

"Taiwan is expected to be a major topic of discussion for both the [Trump-Xi] summit and Tillerson's visit. * * * a White House official said of the arms package[:] 'The Trump administration takes America's commitment to Taiwan's security very seriously.'

"The approved package was held up [in December 2018]  by Avril D Haines, the Obama White House deputy national security adviser. Haines did not return an email seeking comment.

"Taiwan in January began upgrading its force of 144 F-16s. The jets will be outfitted with active electronically scanned array fire-control radar that analysts say can detect radar-evading stealth aircraft.  New avionics equipment also is being added

Note:
(a) Avril Haines
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avril_Haines

is a woman.
(b) Avril is noun masculine, the FRENCH counterpart of April (in English). Both share the same Old French and (further back) Latin roots. See April.
Online Etymology Dictionary, undated.
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=April
(c) The surname Haines is variant of Haynes.
(i) The English surname Haynes have various origins, and thus meanings.
(ii) The Irish surname Haynes is "variant of Hines."

Whether English or Irish, Haines/ Haynes are pronounced the same, with the vowel sounding the same as "eye."