State Department Holds $12 Billion Weapons Sales To Taiwan

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The U.S. has frozen the sale of $12 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan as Washington gives way to peace talks between its Asian ally and China.

The department stopped congressional notifications on the weapons being sought by Taipei, a move that works as a freeze order on the arms sale, to also assure U.S. President George W. Bush's attendance in the opening ceremony of the Olympics games. The decision was pushed by some U.S. officials at the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, the report said.

However, the sale of 90 combat helicopters, eight submarines, four anti-missile batteries and 66 F-16 fighter planes to Taiwan may push through after the Beijing Oympics in August and before the inauguration of the new U.S. president, the Monday issue of Defense News cited sources at the U.S. State Department as saying.