PLAAF is 500 years behind the ROCAF

BEHIND THE TIMES: According to the leader of the air force, it will take China 500 more years before its planes are any match for Taiwan’s fighters

By Brian Hsu
STAFF REPORTER

The Chinese air force has 500 more years of development before it will be a match for its Taiwanese counterpart, air force commander-in-chief General Li Tien-yu (§õ¤Ñ¦Ð) claimed yesterday.

“The Chinese air force claims it will catch up with the Taiwan air force by 2005. I don’t think so. I don’t think they will be able to achieve the goal by 2500 if we continue to progress,” Li said.

Li made the remarks yesterday as he delivered an address in a celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Aug. 14 air victory, in which the ROC air force shot down nine of 18 Japanese aircraft that were bombing Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province in eastern China.

The celebration took place at the headquarters of the air force, attended by air force leaders and officials of various rank.

The celebration was initially off-limits to the press, but a cable television station was allowed to get in after negotiations with the air force.

Li’s remarks about China being unable to compete with Taiwan in air strength by 2500 were greatly publicized by the cable television station, starting with hourly reports that began at noon.

The report was initially considered to be a misunderstanding of Li’s comments, but television footage repeated again and again on the cable television channel each hour showed that Li did say “2500” rather than “2050.”

The air force general headquarters admitted that Li did say China might not be able to be match to Taiwan in air strength, even until 2500.

A spokesman for the air force, who preferred not to be identified, said Li might be joking since he has a humorous character.

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I guess they’ll still be fighting over the straits with starships armed with phasers and photon torpedoes by then.