Don't Delay Aegis Sale

Gary Schmitt
USA TODAY
April 24, 2001

Today's debate: Weapons sales to Taiwan

Opposing view: Chinese military poses too great a threat to democratic Taiwan.

If the Bush administration decides against selling Aegis destroyers to Taiwan, it won't be because Taiwan doesn't need them. Since the end of the Soviet Union and the threat it posed to China's borders, Beijing has increasingly focused its diplomatic and military efforts on bringing democratic Taiwan under its rule. Indeed, Chinese leaders now argue that a prolonged delay by Taiwan in negotiating a "return" is itself grounds for China to take military action.

We should not take this threat lightly. With communism a dead letter, much of the legitimacy of the Chinese leaders' rule rests on their capacity to satisfy the rising ambitions of Chinese nationalism. To back this up, China is making a concerted effort to modernize its armed forces by annually increasing its military budget (by more than 17% next year) and by acquiring advanced naval and air weapons from Russia. The strategy is clear: China is working to create a military capability so intimidating that Taiwan feels it has no choice but to negotiate away its independence, or, failing
that, create a military capability so potent that it can quickly bring Taiwan to its knees by the use of naval blockades and air and missile strikes.

These goals are within sight.

In the Pentagon's most recent reports to Congress, it has argued that within the next few years the balance in air and naval power between China and Taiwan will shift in Beijing's favor. And while Taiwan needs an assortment of new weapons and help in conducting sophisticated military operations, the Aegis, according to the U.S. Navy's most recent assessment, is key to righting this balance.

Not only would Aegis destroyers provide Taiwan with a survivable, all-weather, air-defense system capable of handling the threat posed by China's air force and an enhanced submarine-hunting capability, it could also serve as a future platform to supplement Taiwan's missile defenses.

The only reason for denying Taiwan the Aegis system would be a reversal of China's military buildup. But until that reversal is underway and verified and China renounces the use of force against Taiwan, the sale should not be delayed.

Gary Schmitt is the executive director of the Project for the New American Century.