The committee’s chairman, Howard Berman, is considered much less favorable to Taiwan’s interests than Lantos or Lantos’ predecessor, Henry Hyde.
Other co-sponsors include Tom Tancredo, perhaps one of Taiwan’s biggest champions in the House, and Shelley Berkley, a co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus.
The sponsors feel that by blocking the sales for political and foreign policy considerations, the administration has violated the letter of the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 which govern US relations with Taiwan.
The Act requires the US to supply arms to Taiwan in such amounts as the country needs to protect itself against a Chinese military attack.
Under the Act, in deciding whether to sell the arms, the US must make its decisions “based solely upon their judgment of the needs of Taiwan,” the bill says.
Congressional sources complain that the administration’s reported reasoning for the freeze, which includes concerns over China’s opposition, Bush’s impending trip to Beijing for the opening of the Olympics and the need for China’s cooperation in the North Korea nuclear stalemate, is a violation of the “based solely” mandate.
They also complain that a recent statement attributed to Admiral Timothy Keating, the commander of US forces in the Pacific, that the US consults with China about arms sales to Taiwan runs afoul of the Act and former president Ronald Reagan’s “six assurances” that the US would not discuss the arms with Beijing.
If the bill is taken up by the Foreign Affairs Committee, it probably would not happen before September, given the Congress’ impending month-long recess. That could coincide with the administration’s notification of Congress of its plan to sell any of the frozen packages, under the most optimistic timetable of supporters of the arms sales.
Also see: Hegemonism behind arms 'freeze'
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