I read an online article today that discussed the Bush administration's announcement of $6.5 billion in arms sales to Taiwan. (I'm surprised countries have billions of dollars available considering the present financial crisis that is being felt worldwide.) The sale is supposed to include, helicopters, missles, upgraded airplanes, spare parts for Taiwan's air force. (I didn't realize Taiwan had an air force.)
According to the article, if Congress doesn't comment on the proposed sale within 30 days, it proceeds as planned. Comment from Congress seems very unlikely since many Senators and Representatives want or need to campaign for the November 4 election. Seems to me that the Bush administration timed this sale to have as little chance for interference as possible.
I might be able to understand this kind of maneuvering if the scenario did not have such a high potential for controversy. It seems that this kind of self-sufficiency assistance to Taiwan has offended China in the past. It doesn't make sense to me given the widely-articulated view that China is a major force to be reckoned with economically and in terms of international influence.
Seems to me that the Bush administration continues to be uninterested in the kind of image problem that it has repeatedly perpetuated among other nations that many Republican and Democratic presidencies worked very hard to develop and maintain over many years. Perhaps there are logical reasons for the timing of this sale, but it sounds like it will make another contribution toward unnecesary international relations problems and complications with a country that we claim is important to the U.S. The timing of this sale also reinforces the view that Bush doesn't care too much about the international relations problemsn that his admnistation dumps on its whichever elected (hopefully) administration will succeed him. Once again, seems to me like Bush is going to contribute damage where it doesn't need to be contributed.
.
