Chen, the first Taiwanese defense minister to visit the U.S. since 2002, made the remarks during an informal gathering with Taiwanese journalists stationed in the United States after he delivered a keynote speech at the opening of an annual U.S.-Taiwan defense industry conference.

In his speech, Chen strongly reaffirmed Taiwan’s resolve to defend its national security and expressed optimism that the United States will eventually give the green light to Taiwan’s arms procurement package.

The package consists of seven weapons systems — namely anti-tank missiles, Apache helicopters, Patriot PAC-3 missile batteries, diesel-electric submarines, P3C Orion anti-submarine aircraft, ship-launched Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Black Eagle helicopters.

The U.S. State Department notified Congress last Friday of its approval of six arms deals with France, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, but it failed to include the Taiwan package on its notification list.

The State Department later told Taiwanese media that the arms procurement package is still under inter-departmental screening by the administration and that it would notify Congress immediately upon a decision being reached.

The U.S. Congress was scheduled to enter into recess Sept. 26, but the recess was postponed for a week due to a deadlock over a US$700 billion bailout package for Wall Street.Although a post-session notification is legal, the Taiwanese reporters said it seems highly possible that the arms package will be left for the next U.S. administration to deal with.

Chen told the journalists that in addition to addressing the Sept. 28-30 defense industry conference, he will also meet with U.S. political heavyweights and senior military officials during his current visit in the hope of briefing them on President Ma Ying-jeou’s basic political concepts, Taiwan’s military reform directions and its self-defense resolve.

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