No change in policy on arms sales: US

Taipei Times ^ | 3/06/2010 | William Lowther

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The US and China completed a series of top-level talks on arms sales to Taiwan, with Washington refusing to give Beijing any assurances that the sales would be stopped or curtailed, a US official said on Thursday.

“The US responded to PRC [People’s Republic of China] concerns over Taiwan by reiterating that it has followed a consistent approach,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said.

Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg and Senior Director for Asian Affairs Jeff Bader conducted the talks this week in Beijing. They are now in Tokyo meeting senior Japanese government officials.

In Beijing they met Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and State Councilor Dai Bingguo, among others.

A source with close ties to the US State Department told the Taipei Times that while other issues were also discussed, Chinese officials appeared to place the most importance on arms sales to Taiwan.

They raised the possibility of US President Barack Obama selling F-16C/D fighters to Taiwan and indicated that if such a sale were to be approved their objections would be greater than those that followed the recent agreement to sell Taiwan a US$6.4 billion arms package including Black Hawk helicopters, communications equipment and 114 Patriot missiles.

“The US and PRC agreed on the high importance each attaches to the relationships and their commitment to building a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship. The two sides engaged in an in-depth exchange of views on issues of mutual concern and they look forward to working together constructively to address these issues,” Crowley said.

Steinberg and Bader said the Obama administration was continuing with a “one China” policy, adherence to the Three Joint Communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act, and “expectations of a peaceful resolution of the differences across the strait.”