Romney blasts Obama decision on Taiwan fighters

WASHINGTON: Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney on Wednesday blasted President Barack Obama's decision not to sell Taiwan new F-16 fighter jets, charging he "caved into the unreasonable demands of China."

The former Masschusetts governor said Obama's approval of a $5.85 billion multi-part deal to upgrade Taiwan's existing fleet of military planes "is yet another example of his weak leadership in foreign policy."

"In the face of China's intensive military buildup, the United States needs the strongest possible partnerships in Asia. However, President Obama has ignored Taiwan's request and caved into the unreasonable demands of China at the cost of well-paying American jobs," said Romney.

Taipei applied in 2007 to buy 66 F-16 C/D fighters, which have better radar and more powerful weapons systems than its F-16 A/Bs, in response to China's growing military muscle.

The US offer to upgrade Taiwan's existing fleet of 146 US-made F-16 A/Bs falls short of that ambition and is seen by some observers on the island as a "consolation prize."

"This decision raises serious questions about his commitment to our closest partners and to the policies that have sustained American leadership abroad," charged Romney, a top contender for his party's nomination to take on Obama in the November 2012 election.

But China reacted angrily to the deal, with Chinese vice foreign minister Zhang Zhijun accusing Washington of "wrongdoing" that "will inevitably undermine bilateral relations as well as exchanges and cooperation in military and security areas," according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011