Agence France-Presse,
Taipei: Taiwan plans to purchase 30 advanced Apache attack helicopters from the United States in the face of a mounting military threat from rival China, a defence official said Wednesday. The deal would require the approval of the United States, the island's leading arms supplier despite a lack of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Beijing strongly objects to any arms sales from Washington to Taiwan, which it regards as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.
“The attack helicopter deal has been under evaluation,” defence ministry spokesman Major-general Wu Chi-fang told AFP, declining to provide details on the sensitive issue.
The Taipei-based China Times reported Wednesday that defence minister Lee Jye had approved two arms packages for an estimated 230 billion Taiwan dollars (6.95 billion US).
This includes 92.4 billion dollars for 30 Boeing attack helicopters, along with the 140 billion-dollar acquisition of 90 transport helicopters to replace the army's ageing UH-1H fleet, one of which crashed into a radio tower last week, killing all eight army officers on board.
The defence ministry immediately ordered the grounding of all remaining choppers of the same model for safety checks.
However, Wu said the reported proposal for transport helicopters was still on the drawing board.
Major General Huang Yi-li from the defence ministry told reporters Tuesday that the UH-1H fleet would be gradually retired in 10 years beginning 2008.
Taiwan has been seeking more advanced weaponry amid Beijing's repeated threats to invade.
In a wide-ranging interview with CNN in January, Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian accused China of provoking the island by targeting it with nearly 1,000 missiles.
Tensions between Taiwan and China have escalated since the independence-leaning leader was elected president in 2000. He was narrowly re-elected in 2004
