For Immediate Release
Washington DC – July 27, 2013
Contact: (202) 547-3686
FAPA Calls Upon Taiwan To Speed Up Acquisition Process Of Submarines
On June 23, James Miller, Under Secretary of Defense at DOD, responded to Congressman Andrews’ letter of June 4 in which Andrews wrote: “I would like to know how the U.S. can support Taiwan’s acquisition of diesel-electric submarines, including export control considerations for technical assistance and other export licensing in a support of a Taiwan submarine program.”
In 2001, then President George W. Bush authorized the sale of eight diesel submarines to Taiwan. Taiwan reviewed this proposal for seven years then submitted a request for a diesel submarine design and feasibility study in January 2008.
The letter states that “this request is still under review and no decision has been made.”
Taiwan’s navy currently has four submarines, but only two of them could be deployed in the event of war. Two of them were built by the United States in the 1940s.
Over the years, multiple members of the U.S. Congress have called for the sale of submarines to Taiwan. In January 2013, a US congressional delegation led by current chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ed Royce, paid a visit to a Taiwan naval base adding momentum to the Congressional push for the sale of submarines.
The letter concludes: “The Department of Defense will continue to consider carefully any Taiwan requests for defense articles and services. To date, Taiwan has not submitted any requests for technical assistance or export licensing support pertaining to a submarine program. All requests, if submitted, will be considered by the Transfer Security Assistance Review Board.”
FAPA President Mark Kao, Ph.D. reacts: “If anything, the urgency to transfer modern diesel-electric submarines to Taiwan has intensified since President Bush first approved the transfer in 2001. As the United States requested, Taiwan’s government approved full funding of an American diesel submarine feasibility study in January 2008. But in over five years since then, the Pentagon still has not yet made a decision whether even to conduct the study.”
Dr. Kao adds: “At a time when the United States needs to make tough defense decisions, Pentagon approval for this feasibility study, funded by Taiwan, certainly would help keep America’s vital naval engineering infrastructure healthy. FAPA, representing Taiwanese Americans, believes it is in America’s own direct interest for Taiwan, as a reliable security partner, to help ease the pressures on the U.S. Navy to balance China’s rapid naval modernization and its growing aggressiveness in the Taiwan Strait.”
Dr. Kao concludes: “In the meantime, we request that our friends in the Legislative Yuan inquire immediately with the government about current plans for the acquisition of a modern defensive submarine fleet, and urge them to sit down with the U.S. to work out an arrangement.”
台灣人公共事務會呼籲台美雙方加速進行美軍售台柴電潛艇軍售案
美國國防部副部長米勒（James Miller）於6月23日回函紐澤西州民主黨眾議員安德魯斯（Robert Andrews），答覆其於6月4日寫給國防部的信中所道：「我想知道的是，美國可以如何支持台灣取得柴電潛艇，包括出口台灣潛艇計畫的相關技術控管和支援？」
2001年，時任總統的布希批准出售八艘柴電潛艇給台灣。台灣花了七年審議這項提案後，於2008年1月提出柴電潛艇的設計及進行可行性研究的要求。
米勒副部長的信中寫道：「該提案現在仍在審核中，並未達成任何決議。」
台灣海軍目前擁有四艘潛艇，但只有兩艘有作戰能力。其中兩艘是由美軍於1940年代所建造。
多年來，許多位美國國會議員都曾公開呼籲潛艇售台。現任眾院外交事務委員會主席洛伊斯（Ed Royce）於2013年1月率領美國國會代表團訪問台灣海軍基地，更加強化了美國國會對台出售潛艇的推動。
信函最後總結：「國防部將持續審慎考慮台灣針對防衛性裝備及技術所提出的要求。」
台灣人公共事務會會長高龍榮博士對此表示：「提供現代化柴電潛艇給台灣的需要，比起2001年布希總統初批准時更加迫切。台灣政府已遵照美國政府要求，於2008年1月批准進行可行性研究的經費，但時隔五年，五角大廈仍未決定是否著手進行可行性研究。」
高 博士補充：「在美國必須做出重要國防決策的時間點上，五角大廈若批准這項由台灣出資的研究，將會有效幫助美國海軍保持其架構的完整。代表台美人台灣人公共 事務會認為，由台灣－此一美國重要的安全伙伴－協助美國海軍平衡中國海軍的積極擴張，以及其在台灣海峽與日俱增的侵略性，最符合美國的直接利益。」
高博士總結道：「同時，我們也請我們在台灣立法院的朋友，立即詢問台灣政府關於採購現代化防衛性潛艇艦隊的計畫，並敦促台灣政府盡速與美國政府展開交涉。」
Letter
The Honorable Robert E. Andrews June 23, 2013
2265 Rayburn House Building
Washington, D.C. 20515Dear Representative Andrews:
Thank you for your June 4 letter to Secretary of Defense Hagel. I am responding on behalf of the Secretary.
As you noted in your letter, the Taiwan Relations Act states that “”the United Sates will make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense service in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.”” The Department of Defense takes this obligation seriously and continues to work with Taiwan’s Military of Defense to determine what defense articles best support its ability to deter aggression from the People’s Republic of China.
President George W. Bush authorized the sale of eight diesel submarines to Taiwan in 2001. Taiwan reviewed this proposal for seven years then submitted a request for a diesel submarine design and feasibility study in January 2008; this request is still under review and no decision has been made.
The Department of Defense will continue to consider carefully any Taiwan requests for defense articles and services. To date, Taiwan has not submitted any requests for technical assistance or export licensing support pertaining to a submarine program. All requests, if submitted, will be considered by the Transfer Security Assistance Review Board.
I am committed to consulting with Congress on these issues, as well as on our overall strategy for assisting Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability, and would like to offer that my staff provide a briefing to you on the details.
Again, thank you for your correspondence concerning this important matter.
Sincerely,
James N. Miller
