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Time - Man of the Year
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Time_Man_of_the_Year_Compact_Publishing_3YX-Disc-1_Compact_Publishing_1993.iso
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moy
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071392
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1993-02-23
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913b
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26 lines
GRAPEVINE, Page 9This Sale Is a Mirage
By JANICE CASTRO
The Bush Administration's reluctance to offend Beijing may
cost General Dynamics a bundle. Taiwan has been trying for 10
years to buy F-16 fighter-bombers, but the U.S. has refused, in
order to avoid stirring up Beijing. Washington did compromise
by allowing enough technology transfers and help from General
Dynamics so that Taiwan could build an indigenous defense
fighter (IDF) based on the F-16. But word out of Taipei is that
the initials really stand for "It Don't Fly." Now that Beijing
is buying Soviet-built Su-27 fighters, Taiwan is running out of
patience. Diplomatic sources say Taipei has decided to buy about
60 MIRAGE 2000 fighters from France. Paris, it seems, is not so
worried as Washington about Beijing's feelings.