The American factor across the Taiwan strait

Abstract

With the recent signing of an economic cooperation pact between Taiwan and China, crossstrait\nrelations have entered a new era that could eventually make rapprochement a peaceful process.\n\nThe Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), which is a free trade agreement in substance if not in name, is initially aimed at normalizing cross-strait economic relations, though it could further raise the issue of a possible freeze on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. After all,\nif Taipei and Beijing are actively working on burying the hatchet, should the United States change its long-standing policy of providing weapons to Taiwan?\n\nRecall that the U.S. government’s decision to sell more than US$6 billion worth of military equipment to Taiwan earlier this year set off furious reprisals from Chinese authorities who summoned the U.S. ambassador and defense attaché in China and threatened to punish U.S. companies that make and sell weapons to Taiwan.