Taiwan anxious to buy weapons from U.S.

Press, 4 January 1980, Page 13

Taiwan anxious to buy weapons from U.S.

By

DONALD KIRK,

in

Taipei The Nationalist Chinese Government of Taiwan would like to have what the United States regards as distinctly “offensive” weapons for shoring up its “defences” against mainland China. 150 km away at the closest point. Top of its list of priorities is a long-range, allweather jet fighter, preferably the Fl 6, which the United States refused to sell- even before President Carter ended diplomatic relations and recognised the Cbmmunist Government in Peking. Nationalist Chinese officials, who still talk of “recovery of the mainland,” are too realistic to think the United States will part with the Fl 6, but they have prepared a shopping list ' covering everything from aircraft to guns". They fully expect the United States to agree to sell some of the items with the expiration on January 1 of the one-year moratorium on arms sales, which was

imposed by President Carter as a condition set bv Peking before the United States could open its embassy there. American officials are extremely reluctant to discuss ’ relations with •Taiwan for fear of exacerbating a dispute in the American Congress between pro-Taiwan advocates, led by Senator Barry Goldwater, and their proPeking opponents, clearly in the majority. One United States official in Taiwan said cautiously: "What we have promised, after a year’s moratorium, is to supply them with defensive weapons as appropriate.” Another official enlarged on the theme by reading a statement he had prepared in response to my inquiry. “Military scales have increased over the last few years and are expected to remain fairly constant,” he said. “At current scales level, Taiwan is one of the larger purchasers from the United States.” Translated, that declaration means the United States is more than likelv

to agree to sell Taiwan several hundred million dollars worth of highly sophisticated material. Helping to expedite the flow through the arms pipeline are half-a-dozen retired American military officers and one retired mastersergeant, all staff members of "the “technical services section” at the American Institute of Taiwan, Washington’s link with Taipei. The contents of Taiwan's shopping list are secret, but American sources have suggested that Nationalist leaders would settle for an advanced version of the FSE fighter, which Taiwan is already producing on licence from Northrop. The new version, the FSG. now in the design stage in the United States, lacks the range for “offensive” missions to the mainland but does have the allweather capability needed to strengthen the island’s small air force.

Other items on the list include advanced weapons systems for made-in-Taiwan destroyers and patrol boats, communications equipment, missiles.

tanks, artillery pieces ■ larger than those already manufactured here, and small-arms, trucks, and Jeeps.

American officials view the Taiwan list as “a bargaining position” and make it clear that the United States will not agree to all the Nationalists’ requests, or at least will not give in as quickly as the Taiwan Government might like.

However, there is no doubt that United StatesTaiwan relations, nondiplomatic though they may be, have thrived over the year since mobs threw- eggs and broke the windscreen of the former American Ambassador’s car after President Carter first announced the break. “The continuity has been maintained,” says Mr Robert Parker, president of the influential United States Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, citing as an important factor the passage by Congress last April of the “Taiwan Relations Act,” which guarantees the defence of Taiwan despite abrogation of the United States-China Security Pact.

“There is no resentment toward Americans as a whole or toward Americans living here,” says Mr Parker, who insists that Taiwan remains “one of the best places in the world to be an American.” (Some 3000 Americans still live in Taiwan — as many as before the break.) From Taiwan’s viewpoint. relations with the United States could hardly be better. Trade between the two countries this year is’ expected to reach $lO billion, a third better than last year, with a $1.5 billion balance in Taiwan’s favour. Nationalist Chinese officials point out that United States-Taiwan trade is larger than that between the United States and all the Communist nations together and say confidently that “substantive relations” are increasing.

Eventually, said one, the United States will realise that its decision to recognise Peking, will serve no useful purpose: first, because China lacks “the military strength to provide leverage against the Soviet Union”: second, because “China does not have big trade potential — it does not need your goods but only wants your technical know-how.” He added: “After a few years, when you see the Communists cannot do much trade with you, you will come back to us. After all, militarily and politically, we' are still an important ally of the United States.” — 0.F.N.5., Copyright.