Taiwan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
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^ I wonder if Gates had talked to China about military sales to Taiwan. You go over to them, preach for better relations and then go and sell weapons to the biggest sorepoint in china's foreign policy.

I know the US has the responsibility to defend Taiwan from China etc etc but I'm getting tired of this on again, off again military relation between the two countries. It's almost becoming an annual event.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
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Super Moderator
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Well maybe China should just stop breaking off military relations with the US. Arm sales between US and Taiwan have occurred for decades.

Yes and I'm sure China's been fine with it for the past few decades, it's only recently they're getting a little annoyed. Now the PRC have some leverage and say on the US selling weapons to Taiwan, compared to a few decades ago.
I mean it's not like the US doesn't know this is a red line, and everytime they cross it military relations will be broken off -- I wonder if Gates has a significant say in whether to sell off weapons or not, and I still can't tell if he really does want good relations with the PLA.

(I'm also surprised the Chinese side hasn't said something along the lines of "the weapons you sell to Taiwan are altering the military balance in the strait -- you give the Taiwanese the potential to call for formal independance which will lead to conflict. Our weapons are a deterrent for that conflict and you are raising tensions which we will have to respond to. K thx bye")
 

Skywatcher

Captain
I don't think Taiwan would be able to build indigenous fighters... best thing it can do is to upgrade the IDFs (engine etc) beyond C/D status.

I don't think the capability has been lost to build the IDF, (you still need the production line to do overhauls), so just keep on churning out modified versions. It would also make sense to get license production for a jet engine.
 

MwRYum

Major
Yes and I'm sure China's been fine with it for the past few decades, it's only recently they're getting a little annoyed. Now the PRC have some leverage and say on the US selling weapons to Taiwan, compared to a few decades ago.
I mean it's not like the US doesn't know this is a red line, and everytime they cross it military relations will be broken off -- I wonder if Gates has a significant say in whether to sell off weapons or not, and I still can't tell if he really does want good relations with the PLA.

(I'm also surprised the Chinese side hasn't said something along the lines of "the weapons you sell to Taiwan are altering the military balance in the strait -- you give the Taiwanese the potential to call for formal independance which will lead to conflict. Our weapons are a deterrent for that conflict and you are raising tensions which we will have to respond to. K thx bye")

No they were never "fine with it", it's just that all those years they can do nothing beyond verbal protest about it. And US know that as well, just that it's all in the powerplay of which little to no penalty to the US. But with the modernization thus far China is not only neutralized whatever advantage Taiwan possess in terms of quantity but in quality as well, in addition when China can do so on its own Taiwan relies heavily on imports. What's more, with something like long range cruise missiles using Beidou "C-GPS" precision guidance, that's an angle Taiwan has yet have an angle to deal with.

So if and when fight breaks out, China finally has a good odd of wining it. What Taiwan could do, therefore, is to do whatever in their power to make US not forsake them. To that end, US need to "collect protection money" for it - just consider the arms sales are the "protection money".

And while they'd never officially admit it, keeping Taiwan "as is" for the time being is at advantage to China, administratively and politically, until the tide of fortune changed enough for Taiwanese to see the advantage of putting their chips on China.

So pretty much Taiwan is no longer "a goal" for the PLA but a contingency to be dealt with one day (KMT is likely to lose the 2012 presidential election, the leadership is just too wimpy), their current goal is to match the might of Japan and to secure the waters of South China Sea, a strategically important region that includes China's commercial shipping lanes and resources required for its economic development.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
No they were never "fine with it", it's just that all those years they can do nothing beyond verbal protest about it. And US know that as well, just that it's all in the powerplay of which little to no penalty to the US. But with the modernization thus far China is not only neutralized whatever advantage Taiwan possess in terms of quantity but in quality as well, in addition when China can do so on its own Taiwan relies heavily on imports. What's more, with something like long range cruise missiles using Beidou "C-GPS" precision guidance, that's an angle Taiwan has yet have an angle to deal with.

Whoops, sorry. I forgot to put in [sarcasm] [/sarcasm]

So if and when fight breaks out, China finally has a good odd of wining it. What Taiwan could do, therefore, is to do whatever in their power to make US not forsake them. To that end, US need to "collect protection money" for it - just consider the arms sales are the "protection money".

And while they'd never officially admit it, keeping Taiwan "as is" for the time being is at advantage to China, administratively and politically, until the tide of fortune changed enough for Taiwanese to see the advantage of putting their chips on China.

So pretty much Taiwan is no longer "a goal" for the PLA but a contingency to be dealt with one day (KMT is likely to lose the 2012 presidential election, the leadership is just too wimpy), their current goal is to match the might of Japan and to secure the waters of South China Sea, a strategically important region that includes China's commercial shipping lanes and resources required for its economic development.

Yes all true points. I was just saying that the Taiwan military sales are very detrimental to the sino-us (military) relationship.
 

Skywatcher

Captain
So pretty much Taiwan is no longer "a goal" for the PLA but a contingency to be dealt with one day (KMT is likely to lose the 2012 presidential election, the leadership is just too wimpy), their current goal is to match the might of Japan and to secure the waters of South China Sea, a strategically important region that includes China's commercial shipping lanes and resources required for its economic development.

Doubt the KMT is going to lose, the DPP is in even worst shape. To win in politics, you often just have to be the least stupid person in the room.
 

Skywatcher

Captain
I meant like they probably can't build brand new fighter planes different to the IDF. The US has lobbyists for their defense industry... now wheres the lobbyists for Taiwan's (to further upgrade IDF) ? =D

I doubt AIDC could cook up a 5th generation design even if there was the political will to do so, it simply doesn't have the domestic research and technological base to do so.
 
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