U.S. approves $6.5 billion in Taiwan arms sales

By Andrea Shalal-Esa

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Friday announced plans to sell around $6.5 billion in arms to Taiwan, including 30 Boeing Co Apache attack helicopters and 330 Patriot missiles, in a move that could anger China.

The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency told lawmakers that the sale -- which also includes 32 Harpoon submarine-launched missiles -- would support Taiwan's continuing efforts to modernize its military.

"The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region," said the agency, which oversees major arms sales.

U.S. lawmakers have 30 days to block the six separate arms deals, although such action is rare since any major arms agreements are carefully vetted before they are made public.

The Pentagon said the arms sales were consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, which obliges Washington to help Taipei defend itself. The deals were announced after what analysts had described as a freeze designed to ease tension between Beijing and Taipei, and were quickly lauded in Taiwan.

Taiwan's economic and cultural representative in the United States said the decision marked the end of eight years of "turmoil and confusion," and heralded "the beginning of the new era of mutual trust between our two countries."

In an editorial posted online late Friday, the Taipei Times said any move by Washington to hand off the decision to a new administration would have left either a Republican or Democratic president with an unnecessary burden.

"Starting a term as U.S. president by releasing arms to Taiwan would be far more damaging to U.S.-China ties than releasing them in the dying days of the current presidential term," the editorial said.

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communists won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists (KMT) fled to the island. Beijing has vowed in the past to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary.

The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, recognizing "one China," but it remains Taiwan's biggest ally.

PARTISAN WRANGLING

Many of the weapons in the sale were part of a package announced by President George W. Bush shortly after he took office in 2001. They were initially held up by partisan wrangling in Taiwan's legislature over paying for them.

Recently, congressional aides cited concern that the arms sales could prompt Chinese retaliation that would hurt U.S. efforts to ease the financial credit crisis.

The Pentagon announced the sales on Friday afternoon, just hours after the House of Representatives passed a $700 billion financial rescue plan. Bush quickly signed it into law.

The sales include 30 AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters built by Boeing, along with night vision sensors, radar, air-to-air missiles and Hellfire missiles. That deal alone is worth $2.5 billion, if all options are exercised.