Taiwan deal has wings clipped

The United States is expected to announce soon that it will help Taiwan to upgrade its current F16 fighter aircraft rather than selling it more advanced versions.

Upgrading F16A/B combat planes rather than providing the more advanced F16C/Ds Taiwan wants will generate less heat from Beijing, which opposes any arms sales.

"This will be a compromise deal," said Lin Yu-fang, convener of parliament's defense committee. He has visited Washington twice in the past two years on arms deals.

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