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TAIPEI : Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou on Saturday thanked Washington for a planned 6.5 billion dollar arms deal with the island, while reiterating his pledge to improve ties with rival China.
The Pentagaon notified the US Congress of the package on Friday, a move likely to spark an angry response from rival China which sees Taiwan as part of its territory, awaiting reunification by force if necessary.
"President Ma Ying-jeou would like to thank the US government ... he is committed to upholding national sovereignty and security while promoting cross-strait peaceful developments," said presidential spokesman Wang Yu-chi.
"This also shows that Taiwan and the US have entered an era of mutual trust and the discord in the past eight years is over," Wang said.
Congress has 30 days to raise objections to the proposed sale, which would include of advanced interceptor missiles, Apache helicopters and submarine-launched missiles.
The deal would end a year-long lull in US arms sales to Taipei, which has enjoyed improved relations with China since Ma was elected in March on a platform of easing tensions with the mainland.
Nonetheless, Ma has pledged to maintain a force sufficient to allow the island to defend itself against any attacks from China.
Taiwan and the mainland have been governed separately since they split in 1949 at the end of a civil war, but Beijing sees the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.
The proposed sales would involve 330 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) missiles worth up to 3.1 billion dollars, and 30 AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters worth 2.5 billion dollars.
Taiwan has also asked to buy 31 UGM-84L submarine launched Harpoon anti-ship missiles valued at up to 200 million dollars.
It also requested 182 Javelin guided missiles with 20 Javelin command launch units worth 47 million dollars.
Other proposed sales call for upgrading four E-2 Hawkeye aircraft and supplies of spare parts for fighter aircraft, transport planes, radar and communications equipment.
- AFP/vm
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