U.S. sells $1.83 billion of weapons to Taiwan despite Chinese objections
By Zachary Cohen, CNN
Updated 0020 GMT (0820 HKT) December 17, 2015 | Video Source: CNN
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| cnn.com |
(CNN)Despite strong opposition from China, the Obama administration authorized a $1.83 billion weapons sale to Taiwan Wednesday, marking the first U.S. arms shipment to the island in four years.
Consisting almost exclusively of defensive weapons, the military package includes two U.S. Navy guided Oliver Hazard Perry class missile frigates, amphibious assault vehicles, and anti-aircraft and anti-ship systems, according to David McKeeby, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
"U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are guided by the Taiwan Relations Act and based on an assessment of Taiwan's defense needs," McKeeby said.
"Our longstanding policy on arms sales to Taiwan has been consistent across six different U.S. administrations," he added. "We believe our consistent policy has contributed to the security of Taiwan, and has also supported the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."
Taiwan welcomed the announcement of the sale, calling it "a comprehensive display of America's pledge to provide security to Taiwan," according to a statement.
China objects
China, which views Taiwan as part of its indivisible territory, has consistently opposed U.S.-Taiwan weapons sales and reiterated that stance Wednesday, summoning Deputy Mission Chief Kaye Lee of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The statement from Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang called the deal "a serious violation of international laws ... as well as China's territory and security interest."
"To safeguard our national interests, China has decided to take necessary measures, including imposing sanctions against the companies involved in the arms sale," Zheng said, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Reed Foster, a military capabilities expert from consultancy IHS Aerospace, Defense & Security, said that the U.S. defense industry does little business with China so any action taken by Beijing was unlikely to have a big impact.
He added that the military hardware being sold was not cutting edge and is in line with Taiwan's existing capabilities. The deal had been expected.
"There's nothing revelatory, it mostly 1970s technology that's been around for decades. It's nothing that would be used to invade," he told CNN.
The U.S. said the deal does not indicate a change in U.S. policy toward China that would alter normalized relations between the two countries.
But the timing of the sale comes amidst heightened tensions between the U.S. and China due to recent Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea.
It also comes after just one-month before elections in Taiwan, where the ruling pro-Beijing party looks unlikely to win, and a historic meeting between the leader of Taiwan and China in November.
"It gives hope to the incumbent party. They've kept relations with both China and the U.S. warm. That's a positive message," said Foster.
One year ago, Congress passed the Naval Transfer Act authorizing the sale of up to four Perry-class frigates to Taiwan in December 2014.
Obama signed the transfer act into law but until Wednesday, the administration had yet to notify Congress of its plans to move forward with the sale.
儘管中國強力反對，歐巴馬政府星期三仍正式授權對台軍售18.3億美元的武器，四年來首次對台軍售。
幾乎是清倉式軍售，軍售內容包括海軍的派里級飛彈巡防艦、陸戰隊的兩棲突擊車及反坦克飛彈、刺針防空飛彈。根據國務院軍政局發言人McKeeby表示，「這場交易是由台灣關係法主導，評估台灣防禦需求後決定的。」
「我們長期以來對台軍售的政策在美國六個行政體系之間都是一致的，」他說，「我們相信一貫的政策可對台灣的安全帶來貢獻，並對台海兩岸的和平及穩定有所幫助。」
台灣方面則樂觀其成，認為這次交易是美國公開表示對台灣提供保障的承諾。
中國反對
中國是台灣是不可分割的領土，並始終反對台美軍售案。根據中國外交部表示，星期三他們請駐華大使館附代表團團長李凱美重申他們的態度，中國外交部副部長鄭則逛在聲明中表示這場交易嚴重違背國際間法律，中國領土及安全利益。
新華社報導鄭則逛聲明，「為保障我們國家權益，中國決定採取必要手段，抵制與軍售案有關的所有企業。」
而市調機構IHS軍事國防專家Reed Foster則說，美國國防工業向來跟中國沒有什麼來往，抵制手段不太可能對美國造成任何影響。
他強調這個交易已經期待已久，出售國防設備是符合台灣本身能力的，並不受限制。
「這不代表什麼，武器都是1970年代的科技，存在好幾十年了。沒有什麼好被侵犯的。」Foster告訴CNN。
美國認為這次軍售案不代表對中國的政策變了，而造成兩個國家正常的關係有所改變。
但是軍售案時間點過於敏感，提高美中兩國在近期中國宣佈南海為其領土的緊張情勢。
正巧一個月後面臨台灣總統大選，看似國民黨贏面不大，再加上11月才剛結束歷史性的馬習會。
「對現任政黨來說軍售案是個希望。現任政黨與中美兩邊關係良好，這會是個正面的影響。」Foster說。
2014年12月，美國通過海軍艦艇轉移法案授權軍售給台灣四艘派里級飛彈巡防艦。
歐巴馬簽署後至今尚未通知國會加速推動履行該法案。
frigate (n.) 護衛艦
amphibious (adj.) 兩棲作戰的
assault (n.) 襲擊
reiterate (v.) 重申
stance (n.) 態度
summon (v.) 召喚
revelatory (adj.) 啟發性的
normalized (v.) 使...正常化
incumbent (adj.) 現任的
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