Taiwan: Follow-Up on US-Taiwan Arms Freeze

View from Taiwan has a follow-up to the freeze in US-to-Taiwan sales of defensive weapons.

On June 30, 14 Senators sent a letter to President Bush to ask why the arms sales have been frozen.

Here is the text of the letter as given on the official website of one of the signers of the letter, Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma (also co-chair of the Senate Taiwan Caucus). Here is a portion of it:

For decades, the United States and Taiwan have maintained a mutually beneficial economic and political relationship. Taiwan is one of our strongest allies in the Asia Pacific region, and we believe it is essential that there be a peaceful environment in the Taiwan Strait. The U.S. has a long history of making available to Taiwan the defense articles and services that enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability, and we are legally bound under the Taiwan Relations Act to continue doing so.

. . .

In our view, a secure and prosperous Taiwan requires the means to provide for its own self-defense and the ability to engage its neighbors without fear of military intimidation. Taiwan’s ability to maintain its defense rests heavily upon its ability to acquire defense articles that are capable of deterring aggressive neighbors. As your statement also points out, Taiwan has a right to be “secure,” and that can only be guaranteed by an unambiguous and non-negotiable commitment from the United States to provide Taiwan with weapons systems consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act.