Taiwan Won’t Ask U.S. to Fight Against China, Ma Tells CNN

Source: Bloomberg By Tim Culpan

April 30 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. should keep selling weapons to Taiwan to maintain confidence within Asia, Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said in an interview with CNN.

“We will purchase arms from the United States, but we’ll never ask America to fight for Taiwan,” Ma, 59, said in an interview broadcast by the U.S. network today. “If the U.S. reduced arms sales to Taiwan below the current level, it will reduce confidence in this part of the world.”

Ma, who returned the Kuomintang to power in 2008 eight years after its five-decade reign was ended, seeks closer ties with China to boost Taiwan’s economy and ease cross-strait military and political tension. The U.S. Defense Department said in January it plans to sell a $6.4 billion package of missiles, helicopters and ships to the island, part of a long-standing agreement to help it defend itself.

China considers independently-governed Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to invade if the government there makes moves toward formal independence. China’s military has more than 1,100 missiles pointed at Taiwan, according to the Pentagon.

The U.S. administration is legally required to provide armaments to Taiwan for its self-defense under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. China halted planned military exchanges with the U.S. in retaliation for the January Pentagon announcement.

Moves toward closer economic integration with China have helped relations between Taiwan, China and the U.S. become “the best in 60 years,” Ma said in the interview.

Source article: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601089&sid=a69pb0D_lSTI