April 24, 2001

MEMORANDUM TO: OPINION LEADERS

FROM: WILLIAM KRISTOL

SUBJECT: Taiwan Arms Sale

Let’s not kid ourselves: The arms sale is inadequate. The Bush Administration is doing little more for Taiwan than what was being planned by the Clinton Administration. Taiwan was denied the Aegis, JDAMs, Harpoons and HARMs; the AMRAAMs sold to Taiwan last year will apparently still be based in the United States; and the Mark 48 torpedo being sold is old technology. In addition, the promise of diesel submarines may be a mirage, contingent as it is on agreement by another nation; and without the subs, the P-3s are inadequate. The rest of the package is useful, but falls short of the objective requirements for Taiwan’s security. And it was clearly shaped by fear of excessively offending Beijing.