Obama turns down Taiwan on new F-16s

  • 12 years ago
http://www.nma.tv Taiwan's Air Force wants 66 new F-16 C/Ds. Its aging fleet is in desperate need of new fighter jets. But for years partisan bickering in the legislature blocked procurement, including the F-16s. But now Taiwan wants the jets the US seems unwilling to sell, in spite of obligations contained in the Taiwan Relations Act. Some blame Chinese pressure, while others say warming Taiwan-China ties means the US fears advanced technology ending up in Chinese hands. The US has approved an upgrade program for Taiwan's old F-16s. Will it be enough to restore confidence?