Yet, the US stands by its right to sell arms to Taiwan. US State Department spokeswoman Laura Tischler said the sale “contributes to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait”, a viewed echoed by Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou. “It will let Taiwan feel more confident and secure so we can have more interactions with China,” he said.
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Beijing reacted promptly, saying that “The planned US arms sale sends the wrong signal to Taiwan and will only encourage the arrogance of Taiwan independence forces and hinder the peaceful development of cross-strait ties.”
On January 31, China imposed sanctions against two American firms who actively participated in the arms deal. A Chinese newspaper reported on Sunday that the US decision to trade with Taiwan will cause virtually complete freeze of the countries’ military exchange.
According to the newspaper, Robert Gates, head of Pentagon, will not be visiting Beijing. The heads of general staff will not exchange visits, and military ships will not be coming to the partner’s ports. China has also halted Chinese-American consultations on the issue of the strategic safety, arms control, and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
This scandal is not the first one in the relations of America and China this year. Within the last month, the two countries had blamed each other for violation of the WTO rules.
It seems that the Taiwan issue will remain a bone of contention in the future. For the US, the ability to supply arms to the island is a symbol of superiority over China. For China, the cessation of this supply would be a signal of strength and ability to challenge the US, at least in the Far East region.
The exchange of sharp moves in the struggle for actual control over the island will continue. No one is intending to yield.
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