“We are disappointed in the United States.” That’s a sentiment we seem to hear all too often from our allies these days. A Taiwan Ministry of National Defense official uttered those words to Defense News with word that the Obama Administration will deny his country new F-16 fighters. As Defense News puts it, the Obama Administration’s decision came as a result of “bowing to Chinese pressure.” Instead of the 66 F-16C/Ds that were requested, the Pentagon is instead going to provide “upgrades” of the current Taiwanese system.
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| No Taiwan, you can’t have these… |
And the Obama Administration’s decision also most a loss of American jobs. A financial analysis firm, the Perryman Group, had estimated that the Taiwan purchase would have created more than 16,000 jobs and $768 million in federal tax revenue.
China currently holds around 8 percent of U.S. debt.
There are now fears that we could be “losing Taiwan,” as it drifts out of the U.S. orbit. That would “change everything from the operational arch perspective to the posture of Japan and the U.S.” in the region, said retired Admiral Walter Doran, who once commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Big Peace
