US 'to consider sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan'

[Battle of Bach Dang River]

US 'to consider sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan'
04:45 AM Apr 29, 2012

The Obama administration will give "serious consideration" to selling Taiwan new Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets, a White House official said yesterday.

This creates a potential new flashpoint with China ahead of next week's high-level meetings between United States and Chinese officials.

In a letter, the White House's director of legislative affairs Robert Nabors said a jet sale "warrants serious consideration given the growing military threat to Taiwan".

The Obama administration plans to decide on a "near-term course of action on how to address Taiwan's fighter gap, including through the sale to Taiwan of an undetermined number of new US-made fighter aircraft," Mr Nabors wrote.

A spokesman for Taiwan's representative office in Washington said he did not know whether Taiwan had been notified of a potential sale, while spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington Geng Shuang said: "The Chinese position of opposing US arms sales to Taiwan has been consistent, clear and firm." Bloomberg

TODAYonline | Hot News | US 'to consider sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan'

 

[Fanling Monk]

China, instead of opposing the sale, should encourage the US to speed up the sale of F16s to Taiwan. Increasingly Taiwan will need more armaments to compete and protect her assesses in SCS.

 

[shuttler]

Showdown SCS Taiwan Brothers v Vietcongs; US weapons vs Russia arms!

 

[Mercenary]

China will protest even if USA sells Taiwan one assault rifle.

Might as well sell Taiwan a big arms package and take all the heat from the Chinese at once. Once their anger dies down, things can resume as usual.

 

[shuttler]

China will protest even if USA sells Taiwan one assault rifle.

Might as well sell Taiwan a big arms package and take all the heat from the Chinese at once. Once their anger dies down, things can resume as usual.

You haven't been updated too much dude. All these are routines!

 

[Awesome]

They won't sell them F-22 or F-35 for fear of Taiwanese defectors taking US tech to China.

 

[westtowel]

F-15 stealth eagle to taiwan.

 

[Battle of Bach Dang River]

They won't sell them F-22 or F-35 for fear of Taiwanese defectors taking US tech to China.

Yes, maybe that is the real reason made the US delay...

 

[nithin]

either sell it or don't.. why are they dangling ? whim are they fooling ?

 

[Zabaniyah]

What block are the Taiwanese considering? If it is the E/F, that'd be hard to acquire, if not impossible.

 

[NiceGuy]

Showdown SCS Taiwan Brothers v Vietcongs; US weapons vs Russia arms!

Taiwan is too small, and she only have one isl in SCS(east sea) when we have 40 isl and reefs surrouding her isl.We're busy with our 'Greater sub-Mekong nation' plan to expand our power and influent in ASEAN ,so no time to play game with tiny Taiwan now

 

[OrionHunter]

The Chinese should start worrying now!

The US has commenced flexing its muscles aggressively in the South China Sea and arming Taiwan as part of a policy of hemming in the Chinese from the South to pre-empt them from taking any action in the South China Sea against the littoral states especially Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. The Chinese PLAN doesn't stand a chance in hell against a far superior US Navy.

An excellent strategic move by the U.S of A!

 

[Raphael]

Weak move. When are they gonna sell F-22's to Taiwan? What a half-hearted alliance.

 

[Zabaniyah]

Weak move. When are they gonna sell F-22's to Taiwan? What a half-hearted alliance.

They won't even sell F-22s to Japan

 

[Sergi]

F16 ??? Why sell ??? Lease them if USA is affraid of losing it to china. And if they are in favour of unification with China nobody should be interested in blocking the move