WASHINGTON -- As tensions continue to simmer between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan, the Bush administration will come under increasing pressure to provide Taiwan with a firm security guarantee. That could be dangerous and put the United States directly at risk. Instead, the U.S. should increase arms sales to Taiwan and encourage other countries to do the same.
One of Beijing's top priorities is to cut off Taiwan's access to sophisticated military hardware. It's working. As late as 1991, some 20 countries supplied Taiwan with arms. Today, the U.S. is virtually the only supplier. Israel was once a leading supplier but stopped in 1992 when it opened diplomatic relations with China. Israel today is an important supplier of cutting-edge military equipment and technology . . . to China. Germany agreed to stop arms sales to Taiwan in 1993. France, which had sold 60 Mirage fighters to Taiwan, stopped in 1998.
Chinese officials make it clear to countries with arms industries that "good" relations and lucrative economic ties with China depend upon those countries' willingness to end military sales to Taiwan. Few governments contemplate defying Beijing's wishes.