Supported F-16 sales to Taiwan

A: I assume this is about the recent aircraft sale of F-16s to Taiwan. Taiwan has been a good friend of the US for a long time. We also clearly have entered a transition process in terms of trying to improve our relations in recent years with the PRC. If there has been a significant military buildup in the region, though, it’s been primarily the PRC, where they have embarked upon a fairly aggressive effort to acquire new capabilities from the Soviet Union. And, of course, they have nuclear capability, ballistic missiles, and significant other capabilities as well. Folks on Taiwan have not been involved in a significant arms buildup in recent years. They’re flying old equipment and badly needs to be replaced. So, our view has been that some decision to provide some additional capability to modernize those forces on Taiwan is appropriate and will, in fact, restore some balance relative to their position vis-a-vis Mainland China.

Supports linking MFN to human rights outside of China

Cheney co-sponsored the following bills in Congress:
• H.R.1250 (1988):A bill to suspend most-favored-nation treatment to the products of Romania until that country recognizes and protects fundamental human rights, and for other purposes.
• H.J.RES.429 (1988):A joint resolution deploring the Soviet Government’s active persecution of religious believers in the Ukraine.