Study Times published an article stating that the recent U.S. arms sale to Taiwan was motivated by four factors. The first one is the core strategic interest of the U.S. to contain China by leveraging Taiwan. The U.S. conservatives consistently view China as its major strategic competitor, not a partner. The second factor is the significant U.S. economic interest in the arms sale. This new agreement to sell arms brings the entire amount of arms sales during the Obama administration to US$12.252 billion, topping previous administrations since the severance of the U.S. – Taiwan diplomatic relationship. The third factor is the domestic politics associated with the upcoming election. The economy and jobs are the most important issues in the election. The arms sale will allegedly result in over 80,000 jobs in the U.S. The fourth factor is the interplay of the domestic political forces in Taiwan.
Source: Study Times, October 3, 2011
http://www.studytimes.com.cn:9999/epaper/xxsb/html/2011/10/03/02/02_38.htm