Sly games: US fuels China-Taiwan fire, gifts first of Harpoon missiles
9 Jan 2014 6:28 AM IST
Taiwan ordered the Harpoon missiles in 2008 as part of a $6.5 billion arms purchase which sparked strong protests from Beijing. The island already has Harpoons installed on its frigates and F-16 fighter jets.
The first batch of such missiles for the navy’s two Dutch-built submarines has been shipped to Taiwan, the state Central News Agency said, citing a recent report to a closed session of parliament by deputy defence minister Andrew Hsia.
‘The missiles will be able to extend the range of the two submarines’ striking capabilities, enabling them to launch a pre-emptive attack when necessary,’ Hsia was quoted as saying.
The report said Taiwan spent $194 million on the missiles, but did not say how many had been bought and the number delivered.
The missile has a range of 278 kilometres, nearly ten times the range of torpedoes which are currently the subs’ major weaponry.
The defence ministry declined to comment on the report. The US deal also included advanced interceptor Patriot missiles and Apache attack helicopters.
Taiwan buys weaponry mainly to deter any attack by China. The two sides split in 1949 but China still sees the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification.
El Salvadore’s ex-president admits receiving millions from Taiwan
San Salvador: Salvadoran ex-president Francisco Flores has admitted to a congressional panel that he had received cheques worth millions of dollars from Taiwan but denied the funds were for his personal use. ‘I handed in those cheques (from Taiwan) for their appropriate use at all times,’ said Flores on Tuesday, who was president from 1999-2004. President Mauricio Funes last month suggested to reporters that the missing funds might have been skimmed or misused, and said prosecutors would call Flores in for questioning. Funes recently charged that three cheques - for $1 million, $4 million and $5 million - were issued by the Bank of New York, on behalf of Taiwan, and endorsed by Francisco Flores. The cheques were received by a branch of Banco Cuscatlan in Costa Rica and sent to a bank in the Bahamas, through another bank in Miami, Funes said.
The first batch of such missiles for the navy’s two Dutch-built submarines has been shipped to Taiwan, the state Central News Agency said, citing a recent report to a closed session of parliament by deputy defence minister Andrew Hsia.
‘The missiles will be able to extend the range of the two submarines’ striking capabilities, enabling them to launch a pre-emptive attack when necessary,’ Hsia was quoted as saying.
The report said Taiwan spent $194 million on the missiles, but did not say how many had been bought and the number delivered.
The missile has a range of 278 kilometres, nearly ten times the range of torpedoes which are currently the subs’ major weaponry.
The defence ministry declined to comment on the report. The US deal also included advanced interceptor Patriot missiles and Apache attack helicopters.
Taiwan buys weaponry mainly to deter any attack by China. The two sides split in 1949 but China still sees the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification.
El Salvadore’s ex-president admits receiving millions from Taiwan
San Salvador: Salvadoran ex-president Francisco Flores has admitted to a congressional panel that he had received cheques worth millions of dollars from Taiwan but denied the funds were for his personal use. ‘I handed in those cheques (from Taiwan) for their appropriate use at all times,’ said Flores on Tuesday, who was president from 1999-2004. President Mauricio Funes last month suggested to reporters that the missing funds might have been skimmed or misused, and said prosecutors would call Flores in for questioning. Funes recently charged that three cheques - for $1 million, $4 million and $5 million - were issued by the Bank of New York, on behalf of Taiwan, and endorsed by Francisco Flores. The cheques were received by a branch of Banco Cuscatlan in Costa Rica and sent to a bank in the Bahamas, through another bank in Miami, Funes said.
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