Selling more arms to Taiwan and committing to Japan on Diaoyu Islands will eventually harm its own interests

President Barack Obama early this year signed into law the United States' National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, which the Senate and House of Representatives passed in December. The act includes two sections that involve China's core interests, namely one asking the US president to "take steps to address Taiwan's shortfall in fighter aircraft through the sale of F-16 C/D aircraft" and the one stating that "the US reaffirms its commitment" to the US-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security with regards to the Diaoyu Islands dispute. This is an alarming move. The US legislators think they are safeguarding the US' national interests but they are actually harming them.

Since 2008, the relationship between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan has witnessed peaceful development, and the current state of dtente and stability is unprecedented. The cross-Straits economic ties have never been so close; mutual visits by ordinary people never so frequent; and the bilateral political and security relationship never so stable. Such constructive interactions are not only in the interests of the people on both sides of the Straits, they also add to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.