The United States has cleared a sale of advanced Patriot air defense missiles to Taiwan despite opposition from rival China. China's vice foreign minister, He Yafei, issued a diplomatic message to the State Department expressing his "indignation" over the pending sale, the strongest reaction ever seen, according to some analysts. And China postponed vice ministerial-level talks on arms control and strategic security. It also declares to punish U.S. companies involved in a $6.4 billon arms package for Taiwan.
The Taiwan issue has been very trivial in Sino-US relation. Between 1978 and 1990, US didn't sell so many high-tech weapons to Taiwan as it does today because the Soviet Union was a deterrent. But after that US expanded its sales to Taiwan with an aim to contain China.
The fragile balance of military power between the Mainland of China and Taiwan is at risk now and then and US tries hard to maintain it. Global times carried out a poll on its web site asking people: "Do you think China's sanction could stop US from selling weapons to America?"