US Imposes Arms Sales Freeze On Taiwan
WASHINGTON : The United States has frozen arms sales to Taiwan following concerns expressed by China and amid warming ties between Beijing and Taipei, top US military commander in Asia Admiral Timothy Keating said Wednesday. The decision was made after having "reconciled Taiwan's military posture, China's current military posture and strategy that indicates there is no pressing, compelling need for, at this moment, arms sales to Taiwan," he said. There had been no "significant" arms sales from the United States to Taiwan "in relatively recent times," he acknowledged at a forum of the Washington based Heritage Foundation. "It is administration policy," he said. Taiwan experts said Keating was the first official to confirm the freeze following reports last month that senior US officials were holding up an 11 billion dollar arms package and the delivery of dozens of F-16 jets for Taiwan, possibly until President George W. Bush leaves office. The Bush administration must give Congress formal notification for the approval of weapons sales to foreign governments, but the Washington Post recently cited unnamed sources saying Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley had frozen the deal. The reports appeared as China and Taiwan began their first formal talks in a decade in June, the latest step in a rapprochement that is likely to see the long-time rivals quickly deepen trade and tourism ties. Keating said while Washington was committed to the defense of Taiwan, as enshrined in US law, "We want to do nothing to destabilize the (Taiwan) Strait," which separates the Taiwan and the mainland. (cont)
Source: AFP
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