| Taiwan's parliament rejects the whole of US military deal |
|
|
|
| World Affairs Talk | |
| Monday, 18 June 2007 | |
|
Taiwan's lawmakers approved a portion of it; totaling $10 billion. The offered amount by the US was as huge as $16 billion. Taiwan’s lawmakers rejected the whole portion of the deal as they feel; Taiwan cannot afford the arms package right at the moment. Additionally, proposed submarines would be delivered too slowly to enable the island to keep pace with China's military build-up. The main island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, is located in East Asia off the coast of mainland China, southwest of the main islands of Japan but directly west of the end of Japan's Ryukyu Islands, and north-northwest of the Philippines. It is bound to the east by the Pacific Ocean, to the south by the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait, to the west by the Taiwan Strait and to the north by the East China Sea. The island is 245 miles long and 89 miles wide and consists of steep mountains covered by tropical and subtropical vegetation. Core policy of Taiwan's military strategy is to avoid war and to assure its security and stability. The defining characteristic of Taiwan's international relationships is its lack of diplomatic ties with most nations of the world. Taiwan and the US have made progress over the years in bolstering Taipei's defenses in the face of a growing military threat from China but this time the lawmakers feel, it is about time to check the military spending. The United States is the leading arms supplier to Taiwan despite its switch of diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. Share & Bookmark             |
|
| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 19 June 2007 ) |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
