“There is no such word as ‘freeze’ used by the Bush administration,” Jason Yuan, the new representative to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), told reporters, less than two weeks before assuming office in Washington.

“No one, particularly those in charge of the issue, told me they are going to freeze any arms sale,” he went on. “I don’t think it’s a big issue... I think by the time I go on the 4th, it will be almost a done deal.”

Recent reports in local and international media cited Adm. Timothy Keating, the head of the U.S. Pacific Command, as saying the United States has instituted a freeze on new arms sales to Taiwan.

Keating stated U.S. policymakers see no pressing need to sell advanced arms to Taiwan, although a U.S. state department spokesman later appeared to backtrack on the matter, saying the U.S. position on arms sales to Taiwan has not changed.

Taiwan’s military currently procures around 30 percent of its equipment domestically, with the remainder sourced largely from the United States.

U.S. President George W. Bush offered the US$11 billion arms package to Taiwan after taking office in 2001.

The package was eventually approved last December by the legislature. It includes attack helicopters and the advanced Patriot anti-missile system.

Yet, the Bush administration hasn’t notified the U.S. Congress of the arms sales so far, a step required before the weapons can be released to Taiwan.

The Bush administration has also declined to process a separate US$400 million purchase proposal to buy 66 F-16 C/D fighter jets.

Such sales usually draw a strong protest from Beijing, and analysts believe any freeze could be designed to win China’s cooperation in dealing with global issues like North Korea’s denuclearization.

Noting that the arms sales issue is the key spirit of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), Yuan said that no matter which political party is in power in Washington, it has to fulfill the stipulations set forth in the TRA.

Passed by the U.S. Congress in 1979 after the establishment of U.S. relations with the People’s Republic of China and the breaking of relations between the U.S. and the Republic of China, the TRA guarantees defensive arms sales to Taiwan.

“The only little concern is the timing,” Yuan admitted, saying that one of his top priorities after assuming office will be to push for the arms sales to be passed by the U.S. Congress.

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