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US denies arms sale an issue in crisis

The White House said on Friday that US arms and equipment sales to Taiwan were not a part of negotiations aimed at resolving a standoff with Beijing over a US spy plane and crew stranded in China.

Asked whether the sales, a major irritant in relations between Washington and Beijing, were being discussed by officials from both sides seeking to end the dispute, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer replied: "no they are not."

The spy plane row has blown up as US President George W. Bush mulls a decision on whether to provide Taiwan with naval destroyers equipped with the AEGIS radar system and other weaponry.

US officials have insisted that the sole factor in Washington's decision on what arms to provide Taipei will be based on Taiwan's defense needs, as required under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.

Meanwhile, Kurt Campbell, a former US defense official in charge of Asia Pacific affairs, said at a recent seminar that he believes the new US administration will make a "robust" decision to sell arms to Taiwan in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act.

He added that because Asian countries do not want to see the US and China in conflict, the Bush administration should continue to engage Beijing.
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