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Taiwan sets up company to speed up weapons imports
Sat, Feb 16, 2008 The Straits Times
TAIPEI - TAIWAN has set up a company to speed up imports of advanced weapons that may otherwise be stalled by political wrangling and by fears abroad of upsetting China, officials said yesterday. The new company, Taiwan Goal, with an investment of NT$1 billion (S$45 million), is funded by the Ministry of National Defence and state-owned firms such as China Steel and Chunghwa Telecom. Foreign arms suppliers may be more willing to do business with a company than with Taiwan government officials, defence analysts said. Many foreign countries and companies fear that any formal contact with Taiwan's government will upset China. 'When you are an unofficial organisation, your actions are more flexible,' a Defence Ministry official said. 'We hope there are manufacturers who will work with us. There will be dealings overseas, though we do not know how successful they will be.'

Taiwan Goal will also work as a consultant to the domestic weapons industry and ensure that foreign procurement rules are followed, the defence official said.

'It is an attempt to streamline procurement and better access foreign products and services at the best price,' said Defence News' Asia bureau chief Wendell Minnick.

Last December, Taiwan's Parliament approved the island's 2008 defence budget, including a long-delayed allocation for three sets of US-made Patriot III missiles.

Approval of the Patriot missile acquisition had been held up for more than two years by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), which enjoys a slim majority in Parliament.

The KMT hopes to return to power when the island holds its presidential election next month.

Support for KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou rose slightly to 56 per cent after his rival Frank Hsieh was accused of spying on a dissident group in the 1980s. The group established the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Eighteen per cent of the 1,023 people polled by the United Daily News on Wednesday and Thursday said they backed Mr Hsieh, the DPP candidate, down 5 per cent from a poll in late January.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE