The United States has dropped plans to let eight of the 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircrafts - which Taiwan plans to buy from the US - be assembled in Taiwan, local media reported Monday. ( dpa )
The United Daily News, quoting an unnamed military source, said the US, taking advantage of Taiwan's dismantling an arms purchase firm in charge of the P-3C deal, has withdrawn its promise to let eight of the 12 P-3Cs be assembled in Taiwan.
The source said that under an industrial cooperation agreement signed in December 2007, the US agreed to have four of the 12 P-3Cs be made in the US and eight P-3Cs as well as a flight simulator be manufactured in Taiwan.
Other industrial cooperation items include the United States' building a P-3C maintenance centre in Taiwan and transferring maintenance technology.
But after Taiwan announced the decision to disband the controversial Taiwan Goal, the US has decided to let all the 12 P-3Cs made in the US, transferring Taiwan only maintenance technology.
The Taiwan military secretly set up the Taiwan Goal in January to conduct arms purchase with foreign countries, but decided to scrap it after the opposition had blasted ruling party members for seeking personal gains from Taiwan Goal.
It is not clear if Taiwan can accept the US change of the industrial cooperation agreement, which leaves Taiwan short-changed because the US will not lower P-3C prices.
Taiwan is seeking to buy 12 P-3Cs from Lockheed Martin as part of the arms deal approved by President George W Bush in 2004. The deal also include the sale of eight conventional submarines and six batteries of PAT-III anti-missile defence system.
The P-3C can perform in various roles including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, maritime surveillance, naval fleet support and search and rescue.
Taiwan, separated from China by the 200-kilometre Taiwan Strait, wants to introduce the all-weather aircraft to boost its defences against China, which views the island as part of its territory.
Taiwan, after ordering 150 F-16A/Bs, is also seeking to buy 60 F-16C/D warplanes from the US, Taiwan's main arms supplier.