Second, to maintain its economic and security interests in the region, the US has to ensure that Taiwan maintains a military defensive superiority over China and that both sides of the Strait recognize this superiority and act rationally. The interests of arms dealers in the sales is more than likely only a minor influence. Finally, the US must respond to congressional demand for improvement in Taiwan's defensive abilities. Last year, the House of Representatives passed the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act and the bill awaits review in the Senate. If the Bush administration's arms sales to Taiwan do not satisfy the Congress, the said act may be reviewed in the Senate any time this year, earlier than would otherwise be the case.
China opposes the sale of crucial weapons to Taiwan for three reasons.
First, China worries about losing the PLA's military advantage in the Strait. If that happens, Taiwan may decline unification and possibly even declare independence. Under the circumstances, China would have to use military means to achieve unification, disrupting its program to consolidate the Chinese Communist Party regime and develop its economy. Lastly, China is concerned that the Bush administration may revise the US' China policy extensively and adopt a strategy of both containing and engaging China. As a result, Beijing-Washington relations and global strategic interactions may be forced to change.