Taiwan approved to purchase F-16Vs...the configuration will be a security challenge...

via FlightGlobal.

The Trump administration has approved the sale of new Lockheed Martin F-16Vs to Taiwan, a long considered decision that will likely worsen tensions with China, which wants to bring the island nation back under its control.

Several media outlets pegged the sale at $8 billion for 66 jets, citing anonymous sources. The deal was confirmed by a joint statement from House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, a Democrat, and ranking member Michael McCaul, a Republican.
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Approval of the sale of F-16s to Taiwan does not mean the deal is finalised. The final configuration of the aircraft need to be decided and Taipei needs to sign off on it.

Story here. 

Most of you will disagree with this, but I believe this is a bargaining chip in the negotiations over trade with China.

If I'm wrong then it leaves open another possibility.

The Pentagon and State Dept see a fight coming with the Chinese and they want to have Taiwan as a point of friction/concern.

My worry?

Again most will disagree but I believe Taiwan to be already a lost cause. Militarily I view it as already gone.  It's too close to China, will be a blood bath from the sunny side of hell if we do try and defend it and we're faced with the worst of all possible contingencies if they make a move on the island.

All that before we talk about the spies, sympathizers and paid politicians that actually support reunification.

If we sell them these planes then I hope they're detuned without a shred of advanced tech inside.  If we can't do that then the mythical "kill switch" everyone believes we have on every piece of gear we sell has triple redundancy and tamper proof qualities too boot.

This might seem simple.  To some this might appear to be a no brainer.  Me?  I'm not so sure.