Frozen Hell
New Member
Taiwan is to spend a big budget of S$25.3-billion for US-made weaponry before its presidential election next month.
The island will buy 8 submarines, 12 submarine-hunting P3C Orion aircraft and 3 Patriot anti-missile systems as approved by US President George W. Bush in 2001, according to the China Times.
The paper quoted unnamed military officials as saying the Defence Ministry had told the navy and army to speed up planning to finalise the budget two days before the March 20 poll.
They denied the move was politically motivated, saying the budgeting process had been under way since the approval of the arms package three years ago.
Defence Minister Tang Yao-ming denied intervention from the ministry in pushing through the defence budget before the election.
'I will not intervene whether or not this will be done by March 18, but I can be sure that the plan won't be completed before March 20,' he told parliament. Ends.
China is already upset over Taiwans missile purchases.
The island will buy 8 submarines, 12 submarine-hunting P3C Orion aircraft and 3 Patriot anti-missile systems as approved by US President George W. Bush in 2001, according to the China Times.
The paper quoted unnamed military officials as saying the Defence Ministry had told the navy and army to speed up planning to finalise the budget two days before the March 20 poll.
They denied the move was politically motivated, saying the budgeting process had been under way since the approval of the arms package three years ago.
Defence Minister Tang Yao-ming denied intervention from the ministry in pushing through the defence budget before the election.
'I will not intervene whether or not this will be done by March 18, but I can be sure that the plan won't be completed before March 20,' he told parliament. Ends.
China is already upset over Taiwans missile purchases.