Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said on 7 January that US interest in maintaining its relationship with China was the reason Washington had not approved the sale of submarines or advanced combat aircraft to the island. In a report reviewed by lawmakers, the MND said the administration of US President Barack Obama continues to describe Taiwan's request for submarines as "still under cross-agency review". The Obama administration has also demurred on supplying 66 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D aircraft, although it is supporting the upgrade of the island's roughly 145 F-16A/Bs. According to the report, US reluctance to provide the island with submarines has forced the MND to "integrate domestic shipbuilding capabilities with foreign assistance" to build an indigenous submarine fleet.
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