The JANES article is 4 YEARS OLD!!! Whoever is sending you these OLD stories from 2001 is feeding you some bad propaganda. I am all for the U.S. defending Taiwan - as long as Taiwan is willing to defend itself. When your "friend" sends you stuff from the BEGINNING of W's FIRST TERM, it should raise a flag in your head. I rely on CURRENT information, not something almost 4 year's old article in JANE's. JANE's is great, but 4 YEARS OLD??? As for building diesel subs in the U.S. - its clear that we *got* the plans. If you don't think W means what he says, and says what he means, you have been asleep the last 4 years. Your "friend" whom you rely on to send you OLD, DATED, and BAD stuff, either has an axe to grind against U.S. shipyards or who knows what.
Here is something from the Taipei Times, and its been written in the LAST MONTH!!! This is what should concern us all who care about Taiwan.
Arms budget limbo sends negative message to US
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/02/26/2003224639 By Nadia Tsao
STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON
Saturday, Feb 26, 2005,Page 3
Taiwan's failure to approve the US arms procurement budget has sent a negative message to the US that Washington's commitment to Taiwan's security has been unnecessary, according to Assistant Defense Secretary Richard Lawless.
He made the blunt remark during a closed-door defense industry meeting held in Washington by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (AmCham) in the middle of this month.
Lawless told the group that Taiwan would be seen as a burden by its allies if the arms purchase from the US -- three Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile batteries, 12 P-3C maritime patrol aircraft and eight diesel powered submarines -- continues to be held up by the legislature.
He said the US has yet to see any consistency about national security at the strategic planning level and the arms purchase budget has became a hostage among the different parties.
He said some Americans are impatient and have the impression that Taiwan doesn't care about its own security so a US commitment to it was unnecessary.
He said Taipei doesn't seem to understand how serious a withdrawal of Washington's support for Taiwan's security would be.
He said he hoped that Taiwan would not only swiftly approve the arms deal, but increase its annual military budget.
However, he said if the special arms purchase bill continues to flounder, Taipei might communicate with Washington and seek to get 60 percent of budget passed first.
TRANSLATED BY RICH CHANG