The United States and China are headed for a rough patch in the early months of the new year as the White House appears set to sell a package of weapons to Taiwan and as President Obama plans to meet the Dalai Lama, U.S. officials and analysts said.
The Obama administration is expected to approve the sale of several billion dollars in Black Hawk helicopters and anti-missile batteries to Taiwan early this year, possibly accompanied by a plan gauging design and manufacturing capacity for diesel-powered submarines for the island, which China claims as its territory. The president is also preparing to meet the spiritual leader of Tibet, who is considered a separatist by Beijing.
Let them be upset.
Haven't we gotten used to China doing things that upset us? Support for dictators in North Korea, Burma, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Iran, for example. Their threats to a democratic ally Taiwan don't help. And let's discuss Peking's Security Council veto for sale that protects rogue regimes from the will of the sainted international community. And have we mentioned currency manipulation?
We get used to this litany of problem issues, and we don't throw hissy fits. So we're supposed to worry how much that China is upset that we defend Tibetans and Taiwanese who would like freedom?
