US approves arms sales to Taiwan

Last Updated on December 7, 2024 10:13 am

The US has approved an estimated $385 million arms sale to Taiwan. The US State Department gave the approval on Friday, a day before Taiwanese President Lai Ching-ter begins a Pacific tour. The British news agency Reuters reported this on Saturday.

The report said that although Washington and Taipei do not have formal diplomatic relations, the US is obliged under US law to provide Taiwan with self-defense assistance. This issue is a source of continued anger in China. China has been claiming Taiwan as its own territory. However, Taiwan rejects China’s claim of sovereignty.

At the same time, China has increased massive military pressure against Taiwan. In the meantime, China has conducted two major war games surrounding Taiwan this year. Multiple security sources said that China may conduct military exercises again when the Taiwanese president visits the US-controlled territories of Hawaii and Guam in the Pacific. Taiwan’s President Lai is scheduled to visit the US military bases in Hawaii and Guam on Saturday. He will then travel to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, all three of which have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the arms and equipment sales to Taiwan include $320 million in spare parts for F-16 fighter jets and active electronically scanned array radars.

The Pentagon also said the State Department had approved a $65 million sale of advanced, easily portable military equipment to Taiwan. The prime contractor for the sale is General Dynamics.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it expects the terms of the sale to be effective within a month and that the equipment will help equip Taiwan’s air force with F-16 fighter jets and build a credible defense force.

In a statement, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense also said, “Taiwan and the United States will further strengthen their security partnership and work together to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region.” Last month, the United States announced a potential $2 billion arms sales package to Taiwan, which would include the delivery of an advanced air defense missile system that was battle-tested in Ukraine for the first time.