U.S. pressured to sell Taiwan F-16 fighter

WASHINGTON -- Taiwan and its supporters in Congress are pressuring the Obama administration to sell new F-16 fighter jets to the island, with one senator vowing to hold up the confirmation of a new deputy secretary of state if there is no progress on the issue.

A coalition in Congress that is pushing for the deal has prompted a diplomatic counteroffensive from Chinese officials, who have visited senators, officials, former officials and think-tank analysts to signal their displeasure.

The activity has the State Department looking for a way to deal with the pro-Taiwan contingent without angering the Chinese. The last time the United States sold arms to Taiwan -- a $6.4 billion deal last year for Patriot antimissile systems, helicopters, mine-sweeping ships and communications equipment -- China broke off all military ties with the United States.

The current debate involves two proposals. One seeks to upgrade 145 older-model F-16s owned by the Taiwanese air force; the other would involve selling 66 newer and more-advanced F-16s to Taiwan.

At play are the lucrative interests of the defense industry, internal politics in Taiwan -- which is scheduled to hold elections next year -- and diplomatic relations not only between the United States and China, but also between China and Taiwan.

"The deal is important because when we sell weapons to Taiwan, it emboldens Taiwan to the point where it is able to engage with China from a position of strength," said Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council.

Chinese Embassy spokesman Wang Baodong warned this week that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan would present challenges to Washington-Beijing relations. The United States should refrain from such a sale, he said, "so that the positive momentum of peaceful development across the Taiwan Straits and that of the sound growth of China-U.S. relations is undisturbed."