Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

United States announced the sale of Patriot missiles to Taiwan and other weapons systems dissatisfaction with the Chinese mainland. Data Figure: U.S. Patriot-3 missile tests

BEIJING, June 9 (Xinhua) Singapore, “Lianhe Zaobao,” 9 Journal article “China’s arms sales to Taiwan to seek to change the rules of the game,” said indications that China sought arms sales to Taiwan to change the rules of the game to regain the initiative on the issue of arms sales to Taiwan. Arms sales to Taiwan to change the rules of the game, said Beijing should have a certain political and economic capital, you need to achieve their goals more diplomatic wisdom and negotiation skills.

article excerpts are as follows:

in the “Asian security summit” or “Shangri-La Dialogue”, China declined to visit the United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked both sides explained their respective positions. Gates refers to Beijing’s response to “unreasonable”, and at the “dialogue” of the People’s Liberation Army Deputy Chief of Staff Ma Xiaotian the response, the U.S. military on issues such as Taiwan, has become a restore and enhance bilateral military exchanges obstacles.

Gates’s explanation seemed to express a consistent policy of the United States arms sales to Taiwan. The problem is that China has never really agreed with the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, and has been working to persuade the U.S. government to abandon its policy of arms sales to Taiwan. Decades of U.S. policy toward Taiwan was 30 years ago as a compromise with the Sino-US diplomatic relations. After the establishment of diplomatic relations, China is trying to change the U.S. policy of arms sales to Taiwan, and have achieved some results. This is the 1982 United States reached the “Shanghai Joint Communique.” Reagan committed the United States will gradually reduce arms sales to the future, not in quantity and quality over recent years has sold weapons to Taiwan, and try to seek measures to lead to the ultimate resolution of this problem.

if the two governments in accordance with “Shanghai Joint Communique,” established rules of the game may not sell arms to Taiwan-US relations has been the main problem. However, the United States but also because of the understanding reached in 1992 when the U.S. government to sell a more advanced fighter aircraft no longer valid. Since then, the U.S. government arms sales policy is not a restricted area.

from Beijing’s perspective, the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan to change the rules, Beijing did not accept from the outset. The reason why until today, because the overall situation of Sino-US relations, Beijing has other higher priority issues to be addressed. The reason that the recent U.S. arms sales to Beijing’s attitude has changed, more important reason is that Beijing’s arms sales to Taiwan seeking to change the rules of the game to regain the initiative on the issue of arms sales to Taiwan.

So why at this time seeking to change the game rules? From China’s perspective, for three reasons.

First, Beijing and Taipei has finally started a positive interaction, cross-strait relations in an unprecedented stability and development. On this occasion, like a bolt from the blue arms sales to Taiwan the sky cast a dark cloud. In this period of peaceful interaction, Beijing and Taiwan hoped to deepen in the coming decades of cross-strait economic and trade relations, to strengthen communication mechanisms, to create a peaceful environment. Therefore, Beijing does not want to use U.S. arms sales to intervene in cross-strait relations.

Second, the comprehensive development of Sino-US relations and China’s recent economic rise, so the U.S. can influence the overall development of China on the issue of reduced capacity. In other words, China is not like before, the overall situation of reform and opening up in the vital economic and trade interests are asking the United States. By contrast, in today’s Sino-US relations, Beijing that the United States in the financial, trade and foreign affairs, there is more demand in China. To cooperate with China, the United States should take care of China’s “core interests.” The issue of arms sales is directly related to the rise of China’s ability to protect its “core interests.”

Third, carefully consider the Obama administration to further enhance China-US relations is an excellent opportunity to all levels of responsibility from the president of China affairs officials, Beijing can find advocates of cooperation and dialogue object. Obama Ma Duihua arms sales to Taiwan is a very small part of the policy, while Beijing is concerned, it is related to the core national interests. “Big” to “small” is that you can change the rules of the game’s point and starting point.

arms sales to Taiwan to change the rules of the game, said Beijing should have a certain political and economic capital, to achieve the purpose of the need for more intelligence and diplomatic negotiating skills. (Tan Qingshan Cleveland State University, USA Professor of Political Science)