The PLAt thickens:

Safeguarding sovereignty over the South China Sea is a shared obligation for both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, an official said in Beijing, a statement which may herald an inclination to cooperate with Taiwan on the issue.

"It is a shared obligation for people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits to safeguard sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and its adjacent waters," Yang Yi, a spokesperson with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told a press conference Tuesday.

Taiwan's army said Tuesday that it would send a fleet of ships to the South China Sea and would station tanks on Taiping, the biggest of the Nansha Islands, at the end of June, the Taipei-based United Evening News reported.
Beijing OKs role of Taiwan in spat - Global Times - June 17, 2011.

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We don't need no stinkin' cynicism:

US Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairman of the US House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee, told a special hearing on Taiwan that she would soon introduce new legislation “to enhance the Taiwan Relations Act [TRA].”

While she gave no details, her intent is to boost US-Taiwanese relations and dramatically improve communications between Washington and Taipei.

She said Taiwan inspired all victims of Beijing’s oppression and struck fear into the hearts of “the cynical old men who still rule Beijing.”

[...]

Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business Council, stressed that the US finds its interests and equities on Taiwan significantly reduced — mostly because US policymakers are attempting to calibrate interests with Taiwan on the basis of the US’ China policy.

He said that in the event of a conflict with China, a modernized and capable Republic of China Air Force could play a critical and constructive role in supporting the US.

“Concern over China’s reaction to the sale of F-16C/Ds has spooked the US government into not moving forward on this issue,” Hammond-Chambers said.

“The US has exercised excessive restraint and has given Beijing ample opportunities to reduce its military posture opposite Taiwan,” he added. “The continued US freeze on arms sales risks legitimizing China’s reliance on military coercion to settle disputes.”
US Lawmakers plan TRA enhancement - Taipei Times - June 18, 2011.

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Honesty is the best policy:

With the last F-16s scheduled to roll off the production line in 2013, Mr. Hammond-Chambers warned that new orders might need to come in as early as the end of 2011. Otherwise, he said, the production line might be shut down completely – an outcome, others have pointed out, that would cost the U.S. much needed jobs and lead to even trickier negotiations over the sale of more advanced fighters.

Although he said the potential shutdown of the F-16 line should not dictate whether or not to sell the weapons, Mr. Hammond-Chambers argued it forced a tight timeline on the decision. “It is a consideration for when you make the decision to sell,” he said. “If you leave it too long, the decision is made for you.”
Never Fear, Taiwan - Congress is Here - Wall Street Journal (China Real Time Report) - June 17, 2011.