WHICH RAISES THE QUESTION OF WHAT THE UR GAINED...:

US arms sales to Taiwan raise tensions with China: China has cancelled all military exchanges with the US in a sign of its anger at the proposed sale of advanced missiles and helicopters to Taiwan. (David Eimer, 30 Jan 2010, Daily Telegraph)

Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province that is still part of its territory.

Mr He said China was "strongly indignant" about the £4 billion package of weapons, which includes 114 Patriot anti-missile missiles, 60 Blackhawk helicopters and two minesweepers, which was submitted to the US Congress for approval on Friday.

"The US plan will definitely undermine China-US relations and bring about a serious negative impact on exchanges and co-operation in major areas between the two countries," said He in a statement.

Under a 1979 Act of Congress, Washington is legally obliged to help Taiwan defend itself.

The row is the latest sign of the increasingly fraught relationship between Beijing and Washington.

...by being too craven to sell our allies the F-16s they wanted?

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 30, 2010 11:22 AM