Hiccups in Sino-US Relations over Arms Sales to Taiwan

China seems to have over-reacted to Obama administration’s approval of the arms sales to Taiwan. Under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the US is obliged to provide arms of a defensive nature to Taiwan. The US may appear to be declining power but China is not the logical successor, at least not in the near term. The reality is that both China and the US are co-dependent, through trade and debts but have an antagonistic relationship. The coming months of 2010 are likely to witness more protectionism as domestic pressure mounts in both the countries. The military dialogue seems likely to remain suspended over the arms sales issue; discord over Iran’s nuclear issue may increase and more war of words may define the relationships between the two countries.

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