【新唐人2011年6月30日讯】美国《防务新闻》(Defense News)周刊6月27号报导，美国政府再度阻止台湾正式提出F-16C/D战机的采购要求。29号，中华民国总统马英九接见美国“预防性防御计划”访问团时重申，台湾空军F-5E系列的战机已经非常老旧，十年来两岸军事明显失衡，因此有必要向美国采购F-16C/D战机。
29号下午，中华民国总统马英九在总统府接见美国“预防性防御计划”访问团成员时，说明向美采购F-16C/D的主要原因。他说，中共在过去十年中，大幅度增加国防预算，两岸间的军事平衡已经向大陆倾斜很长一段时间，因此台湾要向美国或其他国家采购台湾无法制造的武器装备。
《防务新闻》报导，台湾驻美代表处24号准备提出66架F-16C/D战机的采购意向书(又称要价书，request for price-and-availability data)，但是被美国在台协会告知，如果提出将会被拒绝接受。不过台湾的国防部发言人罗绍和否认了这个报导。
报导中提到，美国参议员卢格4月初致函克林顿国务卿，要求她说明国务院为何至今不肯接受台湾的F-16C/D采购意向书，但是国务院的回复却说，台湾从来没有提出采购意向书。
可是，美台商业协会会长韩儒伯说，台湾在2007年曾经有3次被拒绝提出F-16C/D采购意向书，台湾仍然没有放弃采购F-16C/D的打算。韩儒伯批评美国国务院虚伪，一方面私底下告诉台湾不要提F-16C/D的采购要求，一方面却对国会议员宣称，台湾从没有提出采购要求。
而《防务新闻》周刊根据美国洛克希德马丁公司委托德州佩里曼财务分析公司进行的调查，台湾采购66架F-16战机将给美国带来87亿美元的收益，146架F-16A/B战机的升级案可以带来45亿美元的收益，可以为美国提供大约1万6000个就业机会。
目前美国正面临着经济复苏、就业率以及对盟国军援等问题，军售台湾可以带来庞大的经济利益，美国犹豫不决的主要原因又是什么？
美国前副助理国务卿薛瑞福在《新唐人》节目中表示，在对台军售的问题上美国主要还是出于政治考量，不想得罪北京，他说，这令人很失望。
薛瑞福：“我的猜想是他们觉得北京会认为军售太具挑衅意味。但是，到一定时候我们需要对台湾空军的未来做出一个决定，因为现在的舰队装备已经过时，已经不能应付来自中国大陆的军事威胁。在将来某个时刻我们需要做出决定。如果不是F16，那也许应该是F35之类的。”
《台湾关系法》在1979年美国与北京建交以后，美台签署生效，以取代原先的《中美共同防御条约》。而条约中第二条明列了“向台湾提供防御性武器”的约定。
薛瑞福：“从华盛顿的角度来说，我认为我们没有办法来限制或防止北京参与到台湾人的生活中去，因为他们确实有很紧密的经济联系。我们需要的是一个更强有力更好的政策，来提醒我们的台湾朋友，美台关系非常重要，美国才是台湾忠实可靠的朋友，而不是北京。这可以有很多种方式来做，对台军售只是其中一部分。”
对台军售一直是美、台、中三方关系的风向标，影响着美国在东亚的战略，随着2012年台湾总统选举的到来，中、美、台三方关系相信会有更频繁的互动。
新唐人记者李庭、吴慧真综合报导。
Taiwan Asks For F-16 Again
Defense News reported on June 27,
that the U.S. government again rejected ROC’s
formal F-16C / D fighter procurement requirements.
On June 29, ROC President Ma Ying-jeou met
with U.S. “preventive defense programs" delegation,
reiterating that the ROC’s F-5E fighters are very old.
Last decade marked a cross-strait military imbalance.
ROC needs to purchase the U.S. F-16C/D fighters.
On June 29, President Ma Ying-jeou met
with U.S. “preventive defense programs" delegation,
and explained why Taiwan needs to buy
the U.S. F-16C/D. He said in the past decade,
the Chinese communist regime substantially raised
its defense budget. The cross-strait military balance
is tilted to the mainland for a long time.
Therefore, Taiwan needs to purchase from the U.S.
weapons that ROC cannot manufacture.
Defense News reported that on June 24,
Taiwan’s Representative Office in the U.S. was to
present a letter of intent to procure 66 F-16C/D fighters,
but was advised by American Institute in Taiwan,
that this proposition will be rejected.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry spokesman
Lo Shao-ho denied the report.
The report mentioned that Senator Lugar wrote
to State Secretary Clinton in early April and asked
why the State Department had refused to accept
Taiwan’s F-16C/D purchase letter of intent.
However, the State Department’s reply said
that Taiwan had never made the proposition.
The Chair of US-Taiwan Business Association,
Rupert Hammond said that in 2007 Taiwan was refused
three times its proposal to purchase F-16C/D.
But Taiwan has not given up purchasing the jets.
Hammond criticized the hypocrisy of the U.S.
State Department, on one hand privately telling ROC
not to mention of F-16C/D procurement requirements,
but on the other declaring to the Congress
that Taiwan has never made the proposition for it.
Defense News reported that according to
the Texas Perryman’s survey, Taiwan’s procurement
of 66 F-16 fighters will bring $8.7 billion revenue
to the U.S., and upgrading the 146 F-16A/B fighters
can bring $4.5 billion to the U.S., and 16,000 jobs.
U.S. is facing economic recovery, unemployment,
it needs to provide military aid to its allies
and other issues, so arms sales to Taiwan can bring
large economic benefits to the United States,
then what is the main reason for such hesitation?
Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
Schriver said on a NTDTV program,
the issue of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan is mainly due
to political considerations of not wanting
to offend Beijing. He said, it is very disappointing.
Schriver, “I guess they think Beijing will take
arms too provocative. But at some point we need to
make a decision for the future of Taiwan’s air force,
because the fleet equipment is outdated,
it can no longer meet the military threat
from mainland China. In the future we need to make
a decision if not the F16, F35 may be the like."
In 1979, after US established diplomatic relations
with Beijing, Taiwan Relations Act was signed
and enacted by the United States and Taiwan
to replace the “Sino-US Mutual Defense Treaty."
The second section in the Act clearly states
“to provide Taiwan with defence weapons."
Schriver: “From Washington’s perspective,
I think we have no way to limit or prevent Beijing
to participate in the life of the people of Taiwan,
since they do have very close economic ties.
What we need is a stronger and better policy,
to remind our Taiwan friends, US-Taiwan relations
are very important, US is Taiwan’s faithful
and reliable friend, not Beijing.
There are many ways this can be done,
arms sales to Taiwan is only a part of it."
(soundtrack in English?)
Arms sales to Taiwan has been the weather vane
in the tripartite relationship of China, US and ROC.
It signals the US strategy in East Asia.
With the 2012 Taiwan presidential election coming,
it is believed that there will be more frequent
interactions among China, US and Taiwan.
NTD reporters Li Ting and Wu Huizhen
