James Jacques Joseph Tissot paintings

James Jacques Joseph Tissot paintings
Jules Joseph Lefebvre paintings
soon as next week, the administration will decide on a package of new arms exports for Taiwan. Taiwan has requested sophisticated Aegis shipboard radars, PAC-3 anti-missile systems, diesel submarines, P-3 anti-submarine aircraft, and other advanced equipment — all opposed by Beijing."That is a completely separate and distinct matter," the administration official said. "No decisions have been made yet. The president has not received any recommendations."Nevertheless, he said in making this decision, the administration will "take into account the strategic environment." In other words, China's recent military buildup, aggressiveness, and actions will factor into the arms sales decisions.Some observers cite the potential arms sales as one reason China might back down soon rather than let long-term relations suffer.