WASHINGTON, July 18 Kyodo Four U ...

WASHINGTON, July 18 Kyodo

Four U senators have asked the State Department for a major shift in its arms sales policy through allowing U.S. transfer of air-to-air missiles to Taiwan, according to a note obtained Thursday by Kyodo News

The solicitation came after China reportedly test-fired Russian-made missiles, a put in motion that would upset the military balance with Taiwan.

The literal meaning was written by Republican senators Robert C Smith of fresh Hampshire, Jesse Helms from North Carolina, Jon Kyl from Arizona, and Robert Torricelli, a Democrat from strange Jersey.

''We believe that China's exhibitions of the AA-12s should trigger the transfer (of) the AIM-120's to Taiwan as by and by as they are produced,'' the senators said in a literal meaning dated Tuesday to Secretary of State Colin Powell.

''We are writing to entreaty a change in U.S. policy that will allow the transfer to Taiwan,'' the senators said.

The senators were responding to a new media report that China's military had criterioned two Russian AA-12 Adder medium-range air-to-air missiles.

In 2000 Taiwan purchased 120 AIM-120 air-to-air missiles from the United States. This was made with the understanding the missiles would be kept in the U unles China displayed the use of similar missiles.

The senators wrote that, ''It is clear that, absent U transfer to Taiwan of the AIM-120 missiles, the introduction of the AA-12 into China's arsenal exhibits a major shift in air power across the Taiwan Strait.''

''This means that we cannot afford to quibble through whether the AA-12 standards mean that China has operational capability,'' the note said.

The alphabetic character also notes that Taiwan is negotiating for an additional 286 AIM-120 missiles, further that it may decide not to purchase them unles the State Department policy is changed to allow the actual transfer of the missiles.

The senators asked for the missiles to be released nearest month and strongly urg that the State Department make clear to Taiwan that the additional missiles subject to negotiation also be transferred to Taiwan, rather than stored in the US

Eight AIM-120 missiles are becoming to be completed next month and the interval have yet to be produc the literal sense said.

The beg for to the State Department came just days after the Pentagon's annual report forward China which said that it is modernizing its military with the aim of capturing Taiwan.

The Chinese AA-12 missile trials were not mentioned in the Pentagon report.

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