President Ma Ying-jeou says that US arms sales to Taiwan is good for the region's security. He made the remarks when meeting with Arthur Brooks, the head of the US think tank American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Tuesday.

Ma said, "US arms sales to Taiwan is not only a responsibility spelled out in the Taiwan Relations Act, it helps stability in the Taiwan Strait. It gives Taiwan more confidence as it works towards peaceful relations with China. This is a crucial strategy."

Ma said that he was happy to see US media reports of new developments in US arms sales to Taiwan. Ma also expressed his gratitude to US commitment in this regard. He said this commitment is helping the stable development of cross-strait relations.

The president also spoke highly of US diplomat James Lilley, a former director of the Taipei office of the American Institute in Taiwan. Lilley passed away last November at the age of 81.

Ma also said that Taiwan has in recent decades developed closer relations with think-tanks like the AEI.