Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Monday said his administration would push ahead with plans to purchase arms from ally Washington while trying to improve ties with traditional rival China. Ma, of the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT), was elected in a landslide in March and has pledged better relations with China.
The two sides launched regular direct flights for the first time in nearly six decades last month. His government has also allowed more Chinese tourists to visit the island and relaxed controls on China-bound investments. "However, the ongoing steps to improve ties with mainland China will not influence Taiwan's proposed procurement of US-made weaponry," Ma said while meeting a group of visiting members of the US House of Representatives.
"As a matter of fact, Taiwan presented an arms shopping list to the United States last year. We hope the US authorities could review the list in accordance with their law," he said. Taiwan and the mainland have been governed separately since 1949, but Beijing sees the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.