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House
Armed Services Committee Members Introduce Aegis Resolution:
Sell
Taiwan What It Needs
March
20, 2001
"The
self defense of freedom loving people is in the interest
of the people of the United States -- that is why I support
the robust defense of Taiwan," Congressman Robert Andrews
(D-NJ) stated this morning.
Now
that waves of Chinese officials hit Washington to lobby
against any significant arms sales package for Taiwan, several
Members of the powerful Armed Services Committee of the
U.S. House of Representatives led by Rep. Andrews introduced
a resolution today calling on President Bush to seek from
China's leaders a public renunciation of any use of force,
or threat to use force, against Taiwan and asking the Administration
to “recognize Taiwan's significant defense needs and
therefore approve the sale to Taiwan of advanced weapons
systems that are legitimately needed for defensive purposes.”
The
resolution notes that April 10, 2001 is the 22nd
anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act
which obliges the U.S. “to provide Taiwan with arms of a
defensive character; and to maintain the capacity of the
United States to resist any resort to force or other forms
of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social
or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”
The
Representatives also state that Taiwan's requests this year
include “diesel submarines, P-3 surveillance aircraft, advanced
air-launched missiles and Taiwan's coverage under the proposed
Theater Missile Defense System.” They note that a recent
Department of Defense review reportedly concluded that Arleigh
Burke destroyers equipped with the Aegis system should be
released to Taiwan.
“The
Bush Administration should send a clear signal to China
by telling visiting Vice Premier Qian Qichen that the United
States agrees to sell the Aegis system to Taiwan. The Andrews
Resolution is an important reminder by the powerful House
Armed Services Committee of the fact that this sentiment
is prominent in Congress,” said Dr. Wen-yen Chen, FAPA President.
“We
believe it is important that President Bush's decision be
firm and unambiguous. Miscalculation of U.S. intentions
led us down the path to the Gulf War. Anything less than
a strong signal on Mr. Bush's part will be misconstrued
by the PRC!"
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