Amidst the barrage of criticism leveled at President Obama in recent months over his decisions on healthcare reform, trials for terrorists, and the US economy, he made at least one decision last week that is worthy of praise from his critics. On Friday, January 29, he notified to Congress the sale of $6.4 billion worth of arms sales to Taiwan.

The president’s critics will point out that the arms-sales package, which includes Patriot missiles, Blackhawk helicopters, Osprey mine-hunting ships, and command and control terminals and support, were mostly approved during the George W. Bush administration but not notified to Congress before President Bush left office. And they will point out that the sale of F-16C/D fighter aircraft to Taiwan remains an unresolved issue. Taiwan dearly wants and needs them, but both the Bush and Obama administrations have refused to accept an official Letter of Request for them so they could delay addressing the issue.

The $360 million diesel-electric submarine design program, approved by President Bush but also not notified to Congress before he left office, was not included in last week’s notifications. The design phase of a controversial $10.2 billion program to build eight submarines has been fraught with difficulty--the US doesn’t currently build diesel submarines and Taiwan found the cost estimates excessive. It’s unlikely that Taiwan would have proceeded with the program in the current economic environment even if the design phase had been notified; and Washington doesn’t like taking heat from China for a program Taiwan won’t follow through on.

Mr. Obama had several options. The TRA requires the United States to “make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.” However, the US determines what’s necessary.

Beijing argues that China-Taiwan détente makes US arms sales to Taiwan no longer necessary. And many people in the US, including some in the administration, who believe continued arms sales will do irreparable harm to US-China relations, agree with them.

The president could have delayed approving this package indefinitely, arguing that reconciliation between China and Taiwan was at hand and continued arms sales to Taiwan would only threaten the process. Similarly, he could have approved only the Blackhawk helicopters, arguing that they weren’t weapon systems. President Obama wisely understood, however, that neither option was in the United States’ or Taiwan’s best interests.

In praising Mr. Obama for his decision, we also should encourage him not to rest on his laurels. Taiwan’s military capabilities continue to fall further behind those of the PRC. Despite unprecedented China-Taiwan détente since Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou took office in May 2008, China continues its buildup of offensive military capabilities along the Taiwan Strait. More than a thousand short- and medium-range ballistic missiles are aimed at Taiwan targets. By DoD’s own admission, since 2002 the fighter aircraft balance in the Taiwan Strait has shifted dramatically in China’s favor. And Beijing steadfastly refuses to rule out the use of force to reunite Taiwan with the Mainland.

Having resumed notifications of arms sales to Taiwan after a year-long freeze, President Obama would be well advised to take steps that will avoid the chronic delays in approving and notifying Taiwan arms sales to Congress that have become the hallmark of US Taiwan arms sales policy.

Both Democrat and Republican administrations during the past 30 years have disapproved sales they believed Beijing would find too provocative. Both have imposed long delays, waiting for the “least disruptive” moment to send them to Congress--allowing Chinese leaders to believe that their threats and demarches are effective and encouraging them to raise the ante.

The cumulative effect of this process has been to excessively prolong providing Taiwan the military capabilities it needs to deter military coercion and defend itself while failing to avoid the predictable disruptions in US-China relations when Washington inevitably approves necessary arms sales as President Obama has just done.

Having reaffirmed the US commitment to Taiwan, President Obama can not indefinitely postpone the day when he must approve new F-16s. No matter how hard some may try to rationalize how Taiwan can get along without them or how China-Taiwan détente may make their sale unnecessary, sooner or later he must realize that allowing Taiwan to purchase them is, like the current sales, in the United States’ and Taiwan’s best interests and, ultimately, in China’s. A Taiwan confident of its own military capabilities increases the likelihood that China-Taiwan détente will succeed and reduces the risk of a military confrontation.

US-China-Taiwan relations have come a long way in 30 years. Prudent and balanced US-Arms sales to Taiwan have not inhibited the great progress that has been made. On the contrary, they have contributed to the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Asia-Pacific region and created the environment in which China-Taiwan détente could happen. We should praise President Obama for his courageous decision. And we should stand firmly behind him as we encourage him to resist pressure from China to unnecessarily delay providing Taiwan the defense articles and services that it requires in the future. In the end the US, Taiwan, and China will all be better off.