Posted on 08/16/2019 4:36:53 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The State Department submitted the package to Congress for informal review late Thursday, and it is not expected to meet opposition, according to several U.S. officials and other people familiar with the matter. It would be the largest and most significant sale of weaponry to Taiwan in decades.
The deal has been in the works for months, and lawmakers from both political parties had questioned whether the White House would scuttle it with hopes of softening the ground for a U.S.-China trade pact or otherwise seek to use the jets as a bargaining chip in the deadlocked negotiations.
The [Red] Chinese Embassy did not respond to a request for comment, but Beijing has repeatedly expressed its hostility to such deals.
“[Red]China’s position to firmly oppose arms sales to Taiwan is consistent and clear,” [Red] Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in March, after press reports that the Trump administration had tacitly approved the sale. “We have made stern representations to the U.S. We have urged the U.S. to fully recognize the sensitivity of this issue and the harm it will cause.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Well then they should have made a deal. *smirk*
Trump kills me, man - Red China wants to screw around with Hong Kong, fine - here's 8 billion dollars worth of combat aircraft for that thorn in their side....
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-taiwan-arms-idUSKBN0TZ2C520151217
But timing is everything.
Why does anyone believe China is “angry”?
Like Democrats being “outraged”. Pure bs.
The article said that the timing was precarious. There is no time that this deal could be made that would not upset the Chinese. I agree with the statement in the article that their money would be better spent on asymmetric weapons as China has one of the largest and, at least theoretically, capable air forces in the world. Planes that need runways will not be very useful after the first hour of the conflict. Frankly, I would have spent the money on short range, but extremely quiet submarines.
Indigently, Taiwan has the oldest commissioned submarine in the world, a former WWII US sub.
This is in the article, so how can they report China is “angered”?
“The [Red] Chinese Embassy did not respond to a request for comment, but Beijing has repeatedly expressed its hostility to such deals.”
Couldn’t we sell them something newer than the F-16? I suppose it is a good buy tho.
What the ROC really needs is nukes and delivery systems to back he ChiComs off.
“What the ROC really needs is nukes and delivery systems to back he ChiComs off.”
Oh, absolutely. It would have to be developed in absolute secrecy as China would likely attack at the first hint this was happening. Also, even if they did develop and deploy it in secret, it would have no deterrent value if it were kept secret. (Incidentally, this is why I suggested submarines over fighter planes. Subs are the ideal deterrent if armed with nukes.)
But Taiwan has to live in the larger world and what would such a development and deployment do to their worldwide customer base? If they were suddenly saddled with sanctions it would be as bad as losing a war. As a result, everyone tiptoes around just doing enough to keep Taiwan free without making them an actual threat to the Red regime. After all of their rhetoric a suddenly unassailable Taiwan might collapse the communist party apparatus.
In today’s world, keeping a development effort like that secret would be impossible. Now, if someone like India or Israel just delivered nukes and a deliver mechanism, that might work. A Saudi official made an offhand comment that Pakistan had repaid loans with nukes. True? Who knows. But a secret deterent weapon has zero deterrent value.
They would get more bang for their buck buying the F-15 being built for the Saudis.
Chinese Checkers
Trump Chess
Should be obvious to the Chinese by now.
A Taiwan port of call by a US Navy ship about now would be noticed by the Reds too. Show them this trade war has other fronts.
To hell with China. Put some nukes onJapan, South Korea and the Phillips es and you will turn the dragon into a cowering puppy. Time to knock them on their asses instead of waiting for them to strike first.
home port a couple Ageis cruisers there would give Taiwan a early warning system.
China, Norky Kim, and the rest of the planet’s communists are trying to see if their comrades in the Democrat Party can unseat Trump in 2021, along with the US Senate. My guess is they will be going all-in on trying to crash the US economy in late summer of 2020.
Starting to remind of Reagan outspending the USSR (military) into oblivion back in the 80’s
As a Brit would say “ GOOD SHOW OLD MAN”
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