Taiwan eyeing U.S. tanks, torpedoes

UPI ^ | 7/21/2010 | UPI

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Taiwan is planning to purchase torpedoes and heavy tanks from the United States in an attempt to further fortify its defense capabilities against China.

The Liberty Times reported that Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou ordered the country's defense ministry to draft a draw up a shopping list of weapons that include MK-54 torpedoes, dozens of M1A2 tanks and amphibious landing vehicles.

If acquired, the Taipei daily reported, the torpedoes will be used to replace Taiwan's aging MK-46s.

The decision comes despite an easing of tense relations between China and Taiwan in recent years.

The move also follows a decision by the Taiwan government to press ahead with a controversial $6.4 billion purchase of U.S. missiles, helicopters and ships despite the public stated wrath of China. The package includes an estimated 60 Black Hawk helicopters, 114 Patriot air-defense missiles and supplies for Taiwan's aging fleet of F-16 fighter jets.

China and Taiwan split at the end of a civil war in 1949. Still, Beijing considers Taiwan a wayward province that must be brought back into the fold. It has used a number of means, diplomatic and military, to deter other nations from officially recognizing Taiwan as an independent state.

[Defiant]

Do you think Barry would sell this stuff to Taiwan? He bows to the Chinese, not to Taiwan.

[Rembrandt]

BIG BAD TAIWAN is threatening little, quaint China’s continued existence, is that the message sonofstrangelove?

[JSteff]

shopping list of weapons that include MK-54 torpedoes, dozens of M1A2 tanks and amphibious landing vehicles. Sort of seems the Chinese will get some decent technology to reverse engineer when they capture them. That is if they are left after 2000+ missiles rain down on Taiwan.

This is just a chest thumping thing going on now. The Chicoms and the Taiwan Chinese got to know this is silly now. After a half a century they have more in common now, as far as tech and development goes, than separates them.

We all know that all this will be is an exercise in futility at this point. Lots of folks on both sides will die. Meanwhile the Japanese and Koreans will just forge ahead while Taiwan and China patch up over say the next 30 years after any war.

Lots of folks will die, and hardware destroyed senselessly. Sort of like the Germany's fighting each other would have been. Just made no sense, but the Germany's figured it out and are now an economic and engineering power house that rivals any in the world.

Get some sense kids.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

If the americoms won’t support Taiwan for fear of the chicoms, maybe Taiwan can buy some advanced weaponry from Israel.

I’m sure Israel would be glad to keep their weapons factories running to support in the fight against communism. Those Merkava Mark 4s are some good tanks and I’m betting Israel is producing excellent torpedoes to defend their western flank on the Med.

Taiwan would do well to shop around considering “betrayal” and “appeasement” are watchwords in bammyland.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Its called Taiwan defending itself against an aggressive nation.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979. Under the provisions of the 1979,requires the United States “to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character”, and “to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan

[Defiant]

Laws? Like the one that prevents black panthers from threatening voters in front of a polling place? The ones that require appointees to be voted on? The ones that put secured creditors ahead of labor unions in a bankruptcy?

Laws are not important now. The will of our rulers is what governs us.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I was just stating what the act says. Its up top Zero whether he will act on it.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Ping

[rmlew]

And once the PRC collapses, they will be unified by vote. But as long as the communist chinese appropriate Han nationalism to subjugate peoples into tyranny, Taiwan will fight to be free.