Stephen Young, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, underscored the importance of consistency in Washington's relationship with the island, which Beijing regards as part of its territory to be reunified by force if necessary.

"It is precisely this consistency that has helped form the basis for the extraordinary political and economic progress now enjoyed by everyone in Taiwan," Young said.

"I am confident the consistency that has served us so well in the past will continue as the US prepares for the transition to a new administration," he said, in an address to the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei.

Washington switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, but has remained the island's leading arms supplier.

Despite protests from Beijing, the Pentagon last month proposed a 6.5-billion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan that would include advanced interceptor missiles, Apache attack helicopters and submarine-launched missiles.

The proposed arms sales highlighted "the continued close security cooperation between the US and Taiwan and our full commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act," Young said.

He said the arms deal "elicited a supportive statement from the office of then-candidate Barack Obama that notification (to the US Congress) was fully consistent with US obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act."

The administration of Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou has been watching closely to see if Obama would shift US Taiwan policy from that of the outgoing George W. Bush government.

Bush's is regarded as one of the most friendly ever US administrations to Taipei.

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