U.S. to continue arms sales to Taiwan: U.S. state secretary
ROC Central News Agency
09/02/17 14:58:00
By Chiehyu Lin and Y.F. Low
Washington, Feb. 16 (CNA) U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton affirmed Monday that there will be no change in Washington's policy on arms sales to Taiwan under the new administration of President Barack Obama.
Clinton, who departed Sunday for a four-nation Asia visit, made the remarks in an interview during her flight to Japan, her first stop.
Clinton said U.S. policy with respect to Taiwan "remains as it has been" because it is based on Washington's long-standing "one China" policy, the three communiques with China and the Taiwan Relations Act.
"And under the Taiwan Relations Act, there is a clear provision that the United States will provide support for Taiwan's defense. And that is why there have been, over the many years, the sale of defensive materials to Taiwan," Clinton said.
Clinton said she is pleased about the decreased tension and increasing cooperation between Taiwan and China over the past months, which she said is a direction that the United States wants to support and promote.
The United States has long been Taiwan's most important weapons supplier, despite this being an irritant in U.S.-China relations.
In the latest arms deal between the two sides, the administration of former President George W. Bush approved in late 2008 the sale of a package of weapons to Taiwan, including 30 Apache attack helicopters, 330 advanced capability Patriot (PAC-3) missiles, 32 Harpoon sub-launched missiles, 182 Javelin guided missiles, and four E-2T system upgrades.
The move drew a strong protest from China, which reacted by suspending military-to-military exchanges and nonproliferation talks with the United States.
China will be the final leg of Clinton's Asia trip, which will also take her to Indonesia and South Korea.
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