Because they weren' t offered any? Maybe the RN/RAF want to sell them some of those sitting in hangars now, oops, US has already bought those for spares.
F35B?? -if its not cancelled!
Will they win against the PRC in an all out war. Of course not. Will those in Beijing be willing to pay the price is the question and any new equipment for the ROC will make that price in blood and treasure higher.
Maybe if you weren't so quick with the empty rhetoric, you would have had the time to look up AV8 since you clearly did not know that these were the American built version of the British Harrier. Had Taiwan made a request when the production line was open, there would have been no reason for the Americans to refuse.
And if China did go to war over Taiwan, that will be a matter of principle, and for that, no amount of blood or treasure will be too much.
All they did to Paris 20 years ago was close one lousy consulate. Whooppee! The guys in Beijing are true paper tigers and now that they are all used to driving their luxo Euro cars and sipping cognac they are even more soft than they were 20 years ago!
So what would you have done?
If quiet diplomatic pressure and economic threats behind the scenes are not enough to put off the Americans, how does throwing a big public tantrum and then have the Americans sell the arms anyways enhance China's position or image in any way?
And its funny you bring up 20 years ago as it that was some political master stoke. China fired some missiles over Taiwan and blew up some fish in the middle of the Pacific. Big whoopy do. America still sold Taiwan what they wanted when they wanted and even sail an aircraft carrier through the straits and what could the PLA do about it? What China learnt from that fiasco is never to make threats you are not ready and able to back up if someone calls you on it. That is called being smart, not soft.
Today, America is very careful what it sells to Taiwan, and has been putting off arms sales as much as they can. Even when they do approve a package, it is largely upgrades instead of the new builds Taiwan wanted. And if America was stupid enough to try and sail a carrier through the straits again as a show of force, the egg will be on their face as it is target-locked the whole way through.
