The United States risks paying both political and economic prices for its continuous arms sales to Taiwan, international studies experts have warned. The US move may finally endanger its huge economic interests in the Chinese market, thus making it lose more than it will gain from the arms sale, Luo said.
China is the fourth largest trading partner of the United States.
Luo forecast that Taipei's move to buy more offensive weapons from the United States may add fuel to the present tense across-Straits ties and increase unstablizing factors in the regional situation. Another Beijing-based scholar condemned the sale of any weapons to Taiwan. It's not a question of what weapons sales are more mistaken or less mistaken. Xin Qi, a researcher with the Beijing-based Centre for Peace and Development Studies, urged the United States to adopt a much clearer strategy in building its relations with China, especially on the Taiwan question. The researcher warned that it is most likely that Washington may lift a rock only to drop it on its own feet by selling advanced weapons to Taiwan in what the US calls a move to promote across-Straits military balance.