Lugar Presses State Department To Act On Taiwan's 'Urgent' F-16 Request

摘要

Richard Lugar (R-IN), the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is pressing the State Department to act on Taiwan's longstanding request to purchase U.S.-built F-16C/D fighter aircraft, "an urgent matter" that, if rejected, could leave Taipei in the next decade with "no credible air-to-air capability." On April 1, Lugar wrote Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arguing that Taiwan's request must be addressed in 2011 for the self-governing island to take delivery of the single-engine fighters by 2015. His letter also asks the administration to clarify its position on the potential arms package, which is sure to draw criticism from China.