WASHINGTON - PRESIDENT Barack Obama, set for a mission to China this month to boost warming ties, will stay firm on the US policy of supporting but not recognising rival Taiwan, an aide said on Friday.

Jeff Bader, the East Asia director on the White House's National Security Council, stayed coy on whether Washington would soon authorise more weapons to Taipei, saying only, 'Our policy on arms sales to Taiwan has not changed.'

Mr Bader welcomed the easing of tensions with China since Taiwan last year elected Beijing-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou but said it was not a reason to change US policy.

'This is an area where we have a tried and true basis for a stable relationship and we're not going to tamper with that,' Mr Bader said.

He said US policy was guided by the Three Communiques - under which the United States recognised Beijing as China's sole government - as well as the Taiwan Relations Act, in which Congress required the United States to provide the island weapons of a defensive nature.

'That framework is unalterable. We're not going to touch it. There will be nothing we say or do on the trip that will go in different directions,' he said. -- AFP