John Kerry: “I think all of us agree with the intent and the direction the Senator from Texas wants to go here with respect to our…”

“I think all of us agree with the intent and the direction the Senator from Texas wants to go here with respect to our friendship and our support of Taiwan. In the 26 years I have been here, I have never not supported doing what is necessary to live up to the Taiwan Relations Act. But the Senator is reaching way beyond what we have ever done in the Senate, which is to compel a single weapons systems sale by the President with respect to a complex relationship such as China-Taiwan and the entire presence of the United States in the areas of the straits and in that region. We have never done that. Moreover, the President of Taiwan has said it is entirely adequate. He feels they will have the defensive capacity necessary under the TRA in order to be able to defend themselves at the current level with the upgrade we are providing. Let me point out that under President Bush, over 8 years, we provided $12 billion to Taiwan--over 8 years. In 3 years of the Obama administration, he has provided about $12 billion--3 years. So there was $15 billion by Bush over 8 years, $12 billion by Obama over 3 years. The upgrade that is being provided--$6 billion worth of upgrade, sales of weapons--includes state-of-the-art avionics and weaponry, including the Active Electronically Scanned Array Radars, targeting systems, Aim-9X air-to-air missiles, and precision-guided munitions.…”