The U.S. is moving ahead with a sale of six billion dollars’ worth of weapons to Taiwan — including 330 Patriot interceptor missiles. The anti-missiles and associated gear account more than $3.1 billion of the approximately $6 billion arms package, announced by the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Also included are 30 Apache helicopters, 34 sub-launched Harpoon missiles, fighter jet spare parts, and 182 Javelin guided missile rounds. The U.S. has long been concerned that China is building up new fleets of ships, submarines, fighter jets, ballistic and cruise missiles in preparation for an attack on Taiwan. "Consistent with a near-term focus on preparing for offensive Taiwan Strait contingencies, China deploys its most advanced systems to the military regions directly opposite Taiwan," a recent Pentagon report noted. That said, "China’s leaders recognize that a conflict over Taiwan involving the United States would give rise to a long-term hostile relationship between the two nations – a result that would not be in China’s interests." And "relations between Taipei and Beijing continue to improve since Ma Ying-jeou assumed office as the new Taiwanese president in May," the Financial Times observes. Perhaps that’s why "the package is half of the original $12 billion proposal and does not include Blackhawk helicopters or money to study the possibility of acquiring diesel submarines," according to the paper. "One former US official said the reduced package was adhering to the ‘Goldilocks theory’ of being ‘not too hard, not too soft to try to preserve things with Beijing.’" Source: Massive U.S. Arms Sale to Taiwan; $3B in Patriots | Danger Room | Wired.com
China threatens US with sanctions BEIJING: A furious China said on Saturday it was suspending military exchanges with the United States protesting against Washington’s move to sell $6.4 billion worth of arms to Taiwan. In an unprecedented move signalling Beijing’s growing global power, the Asian giant threatened to impose sanctions on US arms firms and cut cooperation with Washington unless it cancels the arms sale. The state department on Saturday defended the arms sale. “Such sales contribute to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait, said Laura Tischler, a state department spokeswoman. The issue can have wide ramifications on matters like trade and China’s arms sales to countries such as Pakistan. Chinese vice-foreign minister He Yafei said the US decision was a “rude interference in China’s internal affairs, severely endangering China’s national security”. “China will also impose corresponding sanctions on US companies that engage in weapons sales to Taiwan,” the foreign ministry said, without naming any firms. The country’s defense ministry said it will halt visits between the Chinese and US armed forces “in consideration of the serious harm and impacts on Sino-US military relations”. Beijing is fast emerging as a major supplier of arms to countries like Pakistan. Beijing will find it difficult to justify its arms sales to Pakistan if it opposes US arms sales, a source said. The US may be using the arms sales ploy to put Beijing under pressure and divert its attention away from trouble spots like Pakistan and North Korea. Source: China threatens US with sanctions- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times
