Taiwan to buy U.S. P-3

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20...490r_page2.htm

Taiwanese arms
Taiwan is moving ahead with plans to buy U.S. P-3 anti-submarine
aircraft and upgraded Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile systems as part of a
compromise over its long-stalled special defense spending package.
Asian diplomats tell us the aircraft and missile defenses are the
most urgently needed defense items to counter the growing Chinese
military forces across the Taiwan Strait, where up to 800 short-range
missiles are now deployed.
Taiwan's government is still stalling on approving funds needed for
eight diesel-electric submarines because of political differences over
the costs.
Jane's Defense Weekly reported recently that the U.S. Navy also is
stalling on the diesel submarines, which the United States does not
manufacture.
Navy officials in the past have opposed the offer to build the
submarines for Taiwan, formally called the Republic of China, because
of the precedent for ending the all-nuclear submarine force.
Pentagon officials are concerned that the Taiwanese submarine offer
will get sidetracked now that Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon
England, a supporter of the submarine sale when he was Navy secretary,
is no longer close enough to shepherd the deal.