For Immediate Release
Washington DC – April 7, 2011
Contact: (202) 547-3686
U.S. Representatives Call for Sale of F-16’s to Taiwan
“Future of Taiwan Should Be Determined Solely by the People of Taiwan”
On April 7, New Jersey Reps. Robert Andrews (D-NJ) and Scott Garrett (R-NJ) introduced a resolution calling for the expeditious delivery of F16’s to Taiwan and concluding that the future of Taiwan should be determined by the people of Taiwan.
The resolution (H.Con.Res.39) concludes that “it is the sense of Congress that –
(3) the future of Taiwan should be determined peacefully by the people of Taiwan and free from coercion by the Government of the People’s Republic of China; and
(4) the President should take immediate steps to redress the deteriorating balance of airpower noted by the 2010 DOD’s annual report on China’s military power, and move forward expeditiously with the sale to Taiwan of new F-16 C/D aircraft and upgrades of the existing F-16 A/B fleet.”
The resolution also refers to the Taiwan Relations Act as “the cornerstone of United States-Taiwan relations…” and states that “in the near-term, China’s armed forces are rapidly developing coercive capabilities for the purpose of deterring Taiwan’s pursuit of de jure independence.”
FAPA President Bob Yang states: “The continuing deterioration of Taiwan’s F-16’s fleet stands in stark contrast to China’s unending growth of its defense budget – 12.7 percent as announced by China’s government last month. Not only is Taiwan’s national security interest at stake in this process, but the U.S. national interest and U.S. credibility and reputation in the region as well.”
Dr. Yang concludes: “China’s motives are clear. They want to annex Taiwan and if they do not succeed in doing so peacefully they will do it by force. It is therefore high time for Congress to affirm the democratic notion of self-determination emphasizing that the future of Taiwan should be determined peacefully and solely by the people of Taiwan; i.e. not by China.”
美國眾議員呼籲軍售台灣F-16戰機
“台灣的未來應僅由台灣人來決定”
紐澤西州民主黨眾議員安德魯斯（Reps. Robert Andrews, D-NJ）及共和黨眾議員蓋瑞特（Scott Garrett, R-NJ）於4月5日提出法案，呼籲美國政府儘速將F-16系列戰機軍售台灣，並表示台灣的未來應該僅由台灣人決定。
法案的結語如下「眾議院的認知為—」
(3) 台灣的未來應該由台灣人民以和平的方式決定，並不受來自中華人民共和國政府的干預;而且
(4) 總統應該立即採取行動，來修正2010國防部中國軍事力量年度報告中所點出失衡的空軍戰力，並儘速軍售台灣新型F-16 C/D戰機及升級現有 F-16 A/B 機群。
法案也將《臺灣關係法》視為「美台關係的基石⋯⋯」，並表示「近期，中國軍方正加速提昇武器威嚇能力，以達到嚇阻台灣追求法理獨立的目的。」
FAPA會長楊英育表示：「中國無止盡增加其國防預算，據中國政府上個月公布的數據，達到12.7%。而台灣F-16艦隊的狀態每況愈下，與中國呈強烈對比。不僅台灣國安在此進程中受到威脅，美國的國家利益及美國在該地區的信用和聲望也會受損。」
楊會長最後指出：「中國的動機很清楚。他們想要併吞台灣。要是他們無法以和平方式達到目的，他們就會以武力解決。因此，眾議院此時肯定民主要素其一:自決，強調台灣的未來僅由台灣人民以和平方式解決，而非中國，時機正確。」
H.Con.Res.39
