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The sale of weapons to Taiwan is a major source of tension between the U.S. and China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province. Taiwan's democratic government argues it needs defensive weapons to protect itself.

The United States, by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, is obligated to sell Taiwan weapons necessary for defense.

ANALYSIS: Beijing readies for Taiwan shift
ANALYSIS: Taiwan can't complain
MESSAGE BOARD: Taiwan
Comparing China and Taiwan in May 2000

SOURCES: Center for Defence Information; Federation of American Scientists

An imbalance of forces:

Some weapons China has bought from Russia		Weapons Taiwan is likely to get from the U.S.
	SU-30 Two-seat, long-range intercept fighter that can transmit positions of multiple targets to four other fighters simultaneously.		P-3 Orio Land-based, long-range anti-submarine patrol aircraft.
	Sovremenny- class guided missile destroyer Armed with Sunburn missiles capable of sinking an aircraft carrier.		Kidd-class guided missile destroyer Anti-submarine warship that can handle air, surface and submarine attacks simultaneously.
	Kilo-class submarine Diesel-electric torpedo attack submarine; anti-ship and anti-sub vessel; used for surveillance and reconnaissance.		Diesel submarines Not in the U.S. arsenel but would be built elsewhere and sold to Taiwan.