Washington sources say that Wang Yi (王毅), director of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, will be in the US next week for talks with the US State Department about potential future arms sales to Taiwan.
The visit comes amid speculation that the administration of US President Barack Obama is on the verge of deciding to sell F-16 fighter aircraft and diesel submarines to Taipei.
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However, a source with close ties to the State Department and Taiwan said that Wang would visit and that the weapons sales would be high on his agenda.
Another source said that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had greatly pleased the Obama administration with his pro-China policies that have reduced tensions across the Taiwan Strait and there was an inclination to help him because China continues a massive arms buildup and it has not reduced the number of missiles it has pointed at Taiwan.
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In addition to the F-16s, Taiwan also wants eight diesel submarines, but may be ready to build the vessels in Taiwan from US plans and with US-supplied weapons and communications equipment.
There has been speculation that an announcement on the diesel submarines may come in August.
Beijing may have decided to send Wang to Washington following reports earlier this month that there was a general consensus on Capitol Hill in favor of selling F-16s to Taiwan.
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For its part, the Obama administration has remained very quiet on the subject.
However, Kurt Campbell, speaking during his Senate confirmation hearing last week as assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs, said there were “discussions under way right now” on the outstanding request for arms sales to Taiwan.
Democratic Senator Jim Webb, chairman of the Foreign Relations Asia subcommittee, asked Campbell what he thought about supplying Taiwan with F-16 fighters, Black Hawk helicopters and design assistance for diesel electric submarines.
“There are specifics — discussions under way right now. I’m not in the Department of State, so I’m not going to comment on them,” Campbell said.
His remarks were the first official confirmation that the Obama administration is working on future arms sales to Taiwan.
