President Ma calls for US arms sales

President Ma calls for US arms sales

President Ma Ying-jeou reiterated the need for U.S. weapons to maintain Taiwan’s defensive capabilities .

Taiwan requires both new F-16C/D fighter jets to modernize its fleet, and upgrades to its existing F-16A/B class fighters, Ma said during an interview with The Washington Post recently.

Despite warming cross-strait ties, Taiwan must maintain a sufficient defense so it can carry out talks with mainland China from a position of strength, he added.

“We oppose the use of military force to resolve cross-strait disputes,” Ma said. “However, this is not to say that we cannot maintain a military capability necessary for Taiwan’s security.”

On the issue of cross-strait exchanges, Ma said negotiations are underway regarding investment protection and dispute settlement agreements. “This is because we have at least 70,000 companies investing over US$100 billion in mainland China,” he added.

The president also denied claims that expanded economic engagement with Beijing has come at the cost of political concessions.

“Our approach is to put economics before politics, pressing matters before less pressing ones, and easily resolved issues before difficult ones,” he said.

ENDS

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