US senator again pushes F16 sales to Taiwan
Republican US Senator John Cornyn is again trying to force US President Barack Obama to sell F-16C/D aircraft to Taiwan. He has introduced an amendment ordering the sale to the bill authorizing the US’ defense budget for next year. “The president shall carry out the sale of not fewer than 66 F-16C/D multirole fighter aircraft to […]
The US-Taiwan Business Council Releases a Report on the Looming Taiwan Fighter Gap
Lessons and experiences from previous Taiwan Strait crises have shown that it is imperative for Taiwan to maintain a measure of qualitative superiority over China – not only to attempt to prevail in conflict, but also to reinforce deterrence, to allow Taiwan to negotiate from a position of strength, and to prevent war. However, […]
Special Commentary: Signing of an LOA to Upgrade Taiwan’s F-16 A/B Fighters
The US-Taiwan Business Council congratulates the governments of the United States and Taiwan on their recent signing of a US$3.8 billion Letter of Offer & Acceptance (LOA) to upgrade Taiwan’s 145 F-16 A/B fighters. This deal will provide Taiwan’s existing fleet of F-16 A/Bs with important enhancements by means of a contract spanning nearly a […]
Clear signals needed on F-16C/Ds – Taipei Times
Clear signals needed on F-16C/Ds Editorial in the Taipei Times.
US-Taiwan Business Council Lauds House Approval of Granger Amendment to the NDAA, Mandating Selling F-16C/Ds to Taiwan
The US–Taiwan Business Council today welcomed the vote in the House of Representatives approving Rep. Kay Granger’s amendment mandating selling no fewer than 66 F-16C/D multirole fighter aircraft to Taiwan. The Granger amendment was attached to H.R.4310, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2013, and was included in a collection of non-controversial […]
Senator Cornyn Releases Lippert Hold, White House Makes Concessions on Taiwan Arms Sales
Senator John Cornyn has lifted his hold on the Senate confirmation of Mark W. Lippert for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian & Pacific Security Affairs – the Pentagon’s top Asia official. The hold was lifted in exchange for a White House letter addressing Senator Cornyn’s concerns over Taiwan arms sales, and in particular the […]