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PacNet #6 – Debunking Myths about US Arms Sales to Taiwan

In recent weeks Chinese newspapers and television interview shows have been replete with condemnations of the sale of a $6.4 billion package of arms sales to Taiwan by the Obama administration. Chinese scholars and pundits have attributed numerous motivations to the United States for this sale, most of which are inaccurate. Understanding the reasons for the US sale of weapons to Taiwan may not diminish China’s opposition to them, but it is nevertheless important for assessing the broader US-China relationship and predicting future US policy decisions.