The New York Times
February 11, 2010
By KEITH BRADSHER
HONG KONG — China sent contradictory signals on Thursday about its policies toward the United States two weeks after the Obama administration enraged the Chinese by approving the sale of $6.4 billion worth of arms to Taiwan.
Immediately after the approval was announced, the Chinese Foreign Ministry threatened to halt some military exchanges with the United States and said it would take unspecified steps to punish American companies that produced the weapons.
But on Thursday, China signaled some willingness to cooperate militarily, with an American official’s saying that China would allow an American aircraft carrier to visit Hong Kong soon. But at the same time, Air China, the country’s flagship airline, said it would buy 20 jets from the European consortium Airbus, rather than from Boeing, one of the manufacturers of arms for Taiwan. more …
