Answering Taiwan’s Defense Call Trump can improve deterrence with an F-16V fighter sale.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/answering-taiwans-defense-call-11552256483
After Chinese President Xi Jinping in January pledged “all necessary measures” to reunite Taiwan with the Chinese mainland, the island democracy is redoubling efforts to buy American fighter jets. Not since George H.W. Bush has a U.S. President approved such a sale, but President Trump can help a democratic ally defend itself by allowing it to proceed.
Taiwan’s defense ministry last week requested war planes to “demonstrate our determination and ability to defend ourselves,” according to Deputy Defense Minister Shen Yi-ming. Taiwanese media report up to 66 F-16Vs could be included in the request, though the ministry said it didn’t specify a number or model and would defer to a U.S. offer.
The F-16V would be a good start. Taiwan’s air force is now equipped with 144 older model F-16s, only half of which are operational due to maintenance and upgrades. The new planes, with superior radar systems and advanced weapons capacity, would give Taipei a more credible response to Beijing’s air threat. Mainland China’s air power has increased while its posture has become more aggressive. Its air force boasts some 600 fourth-generation fighters, according to a January report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. F-16s are also fourth-generation.
The People’s Liberation Army is also developing fifth-gen models like the Chinese-made J-20 with advanced targeting and stealth capabilities as part of its rapid military modernization. Premier Li Keqiang announced last week a military budget increase of 7.5% for 2019. One driver of the modernization, according to the January DIA report, is to prevent Taiwanese independence.
But Taiwan doesn’t want independence; it wants to preserve its freedom and democracy. After Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in January gave remarks rebuking Mr. Xi’s demand for reunification under the Hong Kong model of “one country, two systems,” her approval rating rose 10%.
Taiwanese fighters scrambled to intercept long-range Chinese bombers near the island in December after a lull in patrols during Taiwan’s midterm elections, and expect such pressure to increase. A Chinese air force propaganda arm celebrated last month’s Lunar New Year with a video called “Our War Eagles Circle Formosa,” referring to Chinese air patrols that periodically circumnavigate the island.
America’s fifth-generation F-35 would be the ideal combat choice to balance this threat. But the U.S. fears the F-35’s advanced technology would be more vulnerable to theft or espionage if deployed to Taiwan. F-16Vs could be a stepping stone for Taiwan to more advanced models, and they may also be more politically palatable for pragmatic Taiwanese voters wary of provoking the giant next door.
Beijing has called F-16 sales a “red line,” which is intended as intimidation to block a jet sale. The Chinese are more likely to respect a U.S. that assists its allies, and the U.S. has to draw some lines of its own against Chinese military threats.
A bipartisan group of 16 U.S. Senators recently encouraged Mr. Trump to send a cabinet-level official to Taiwan in April on the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, which obligates the U.S. to help Taiwan defend itself. These public messages to Beijing are helpful. But real deterrence comes when China knows Taiwan has the firepower to fight back.
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