Glaser

German Marshall Fund analyst Bonnie Glaser is recommending that US President
Trump approve some arms sales to Taiwan soon ... as a way of avoiding giving
the impression that he's allowing his Chinese counterpart to set the agenda
on arms sales.

Trump has held off on approving a 14 billion-dollar arms package to Taiwan
that Congress cleared in January ... since China's Xi Jinping requested that
he do so in May.

In a recent article, Glaser said that as Trump prepares for his next meeting
with Xi in Shenzhen next week, he should dispel the notion that Xi has a say
in Taiwan arms sales.

Trump has called the arms sales "a very good negotiating chip" with Beijing,
and his withholding of the package is at odds with official US policy,
according to Glaser.

She recommends a move away from bundled arms sales packages to Taiwan and a
return to case-by-case reviews so that Taiwan can access the defensive
weapons it needs when it needs them.

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