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USA Arms Sales to Taiwan

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  1. #1

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    USA Arms Sales to Taiwan

    China military blasts U.S. arms sales to Taiwan

    China military blasts U.S. arms sales to Taiwan

    First Posted: 9/21/11

    China's Foreign Ministry has already lambasted the Obama administration for telling U.S. Congress on Wednesday that it plans a $5.3 billion upgrade of Taiwan's F-16 fighter fleet, and Beijing warned that the step would damage Sino-American military and security links.

    China considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland eventually, and by force if necessary.

    "The Chinese military expresses its utmost indignation and strong condemnation of this action that gravely interferes in China's domestic affairs and damages China's sovereignty and national security interests," a Ministry of Defense spokesman, Senior Colonel Geng Yansheng, said on the ministry's website (www.mod.gov.cn)."
    Arms sales to Taiwan were mostly older outdated defensive weaponry but the latest is more aggressive with first strike attack F 16s etc. This package is more strategically focused on China of course not to forget America needs the money. Kind of like the crack dealer who wants to go straight but lacks the cash for rehab so continues to sell harmful drugs to others.


    But we should not be concerned with this as the US signed an agreement in 1982 that says these sales would be reduced over time:

    Joint Communique of the United States of America and the People's Republic of China
    17 August 1982

    Joint Communiqu

    Note Article 5 which reads in part:

    Having in mind the foregoing statements of both sides, the United States Government states that it does not seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan, that its arms sales to Taiwan will not exceed, either in qualitative or in quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, and that it intends gradually to reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a period of time, to a final resolution. In so stating, the United States acknowledges China's consistent position regarding the thorough settlement of this issue.
    So of course the Americans are living up to the deal signed by President Reagan. Right? You think so...lol.

    Nah.

    Sales by decade since Joint Communique:

    1980s - US$19 billion
    1990s - 219 billion
    2000s - 330 billion.

    -----------

    The irony is that all that military stuff will be in PRC hands if there is reunification of sorts as the PRC has SARS to prove that you can have one country, two systems. In fact this model might have prevented a lot of European blood shed if used there.

    Today this guy is your friend like Osama or the Shah or Iran or Dictator in Iraq - tomorrow your enemy.
    Last edited by Football16; 23-09-2011 at 11:03 AM.

  2. #2

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    They are not selling Taiwan F-16 fighters, only upgrades to current aircraft that Taiwan now own.

    As for Americans living up to the deal signed by Ronnie Reagan well you have to ask, have the Chinese also honored the deal? The world is a very different place 30 years on.

    And don't quite agree that the PRC has SARS to prove one country, two systems. Plenty of times that's been walked over and seems more frequent now. And how that would ever have been applied to Europe I have no idea.


  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by jaykay:
    They are not selling Taiwan F-16 fighters, only upgrades to current aircraft that Taiwan now own.

    As for Americans living up to the deal signed by Ronnie Reagan well you have to ask, have the Chinese also honored the deal? The world is a very different place 30 years on.

    And don't quite agree that the PRC has SARS to prove one country, two systems. Plenty of times that's been walked over and seems more frequent now. And how that would ever have been applied to Europe I have no idea.
    F16- too hasty putting the point up that the weapons being sold are not just the defensive sort.

    It is one thing to say this - oh well that was 30 years ago but do tell where the Chinese violated their obligations? You must know something or is this just more 'China has to be bad' sort of thinking?

    I am from Canada where the US consistently violate trade and other deals with us and when they lose in front of the resolution bodies the next day do it again. Size matters.

    On how the SAR model could have been a model in Europe in resolving the conflicts in now split up countries that fragmented along ethnic lines - it is looking backward of course. There has been a lot of people and leaders suggesting that ethnic cleansing like in Bosnia or countries splitting up in civil war might have been better off if they negotiated SAR arrangements in future. Of course the combatants who want to fight might not be willing but now the model shows it can work - it could be a future model around the world.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Football16:
    .It is one thing to say this - oh well that was 30 years ago but do tell where the Chinese violated their obligations? You must know something or is this just more 'China has to be bad' sort of thinking?
    I said have the Chinese honoured their side? I never said they violated their obligations or anything of the sort. FFS no one can mention a sentence with the word "China" in it nowadays without getting a response such as this. Blind love.
    dear giant likes this.

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Football16:
    It is one thing to say this - oh well that was 30 years ago but do tell where the Chinese violated their obligations?
    There are no long-term obligations in international politics, only long-term interests, to paraphrase Lord Palmerston.

    I wouldn't much like the alternative to US arms sales to Taipei. The alternative is half the population of Taiwan ending up in labour camps in Xinjiang.

    My general view: I quite like the way Taiwan runs itself, whereas for me China is a horrible dystopian vision of a future where everyone has abdicated their liberty in favour of shiny material things. I try not to go there very often.
    dear giant, Dreadnought and Gatts like this.

  6. #6

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    I thought it was about helping America debt problems...$5.3 billion won't go far though.

    As for Beijing getting upset about it, their "hurt feelings" got boring a long time ago.


  7. #7

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    Mao should have built some rafts and finished the job back in 1949.


  8. #8

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    Contrary to the party dominated propaganda issued from Beijing, many Chinese people view Taiwan as a beacon of hope and liberty. However, those in the mainland who express such views are vilified, condemned and harassed by the police: first they beat you with sticks and if you don't shut up they beat your mother. So let Taiwan be praised, honored and supported in their quest for personal liberty and representative government.

    bookblogger and dear giant like this.

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    only for interest