Some interesting reading from Defense News:

China is having success in its diplomatic and economic campaign to weaken international support for Taiwan, the self-governing island’s de facto ambassador to Washington said.

Joseph Wu, whose official title is representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), argues that Beijing has used diplomatic and economic thuggery and threats to weaken U.S. resolve to defend Taiwan and undermine Taipei’s efforts to get recognition in the United Nations.

I think Wu overstates the problem, as it is in his interest to do so, but there's little doubt that ever since 9/11, the Bush administration has been walking on egg-shells in its dealings with mainland China--the one exception being the invitation to the Dalai Lama, though that was widely believed to be the price of the president's blessing the Beijing games with his attendance. As the paper notes,

U.S. officials declined four times in 2007 to accept Taiwan’s letter of request for price and availability for 66 F-16s. Wu said the fighter jets would help the island defend itself without U.S. support. Without them and other weapons, the U.S. military may have to fight a devastating war in the Taiwan Strait.

They won't even accept the letter of request? I'm sure everyone is eagerly awaiting this year's Olympics in Beijing, but the real question is what happens next. We were assured that the international spotlight would have the effect of restraining China in its abuse of human rights and its reckless foreign policy. Well if this is restraint, one can take little comfort from it. There is a real concern that the games will only stoke the flames of nationalism in mainland China, and increase the pressure for some kind of unification with Taiwan. The balance in the strait has become badly out of whack, and while one might take some comfort from this type of analysis, now, before the games begin, would seem like a good time to make sure that our allies in Taiwan have the tools they need to defend themselves.