U.S. gov't okays new Taiwan arms sales package: report

The Taiwanese military will also be offered defense communications equipment, said the report quoting U.S. congressional and administration officials.

A formal notification to Congress is expected in the next several days, but Pentagon officials verbally notified congressional leaders in the past several days.

Officials confirmed the new arms package after it was first reported by the Associated Press.

The Black Hawks were requested before the October arms sale package, which included Apache attack helicopters and Patriot PAC-3s that were part of a US$6.5 billion deal, said the report.

But the long-delayed arms package will

not cover additional F-16 jets that the island's government has sought to modernize its air force, said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, according to the Times report.

One official familiar with the discussions said the F-16 sale was rejected as “too provocative” to the Chinese.

A Taiwan diplomatic source said the F-16s were needed to replace aging warplanes and because the production line for the jet could be closed soon, said the Times report.

The move on the latest arms sales to Taiwan is expected to be met with an angry response from China again, the report said.

Chinese government spokesmen have said repeatedly that U.S. support for Taiwan remains the most significant cause of friction between Washington and Beijing.

The United States, under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, is authorized to sell defensive weapons to Taiwan and also to defend the island should the mainland launch an attack.

The law was passed after the United States switched formal diplomatic recognition from the island to the mainland.

President Obama issued a statement in October 2008, when he was a candidate for president, supporting the arms sales.

The new arms are part of a U.S. offer to supply a total of US$11 million in weapons and military equipment that was first offered under President George W. Bush in 2001.

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