The US Department of State has approved a US$1.1 billion sale of military equipment to Taiwan, including 60 anti-ship missiles and 100 air-to-air missiles, prompting China to threaten countermeasures.
The US Department of Defense announced the package on Friday in the wake of China’s aggressive military drills around Taiwan following US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei last month.
The planned sale includes Sidewinder missiles, which can be used for air-to-air and surface-attack missions, for a total of US$85.6 million, Harpoon anti-ship missiles for US$355 million and support for Taiwan’s surveillance radar program for US$665.4 million, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.
Photo: CNA
US President Joe Biden’s administration said the package has been under consideration for some time and was developed in consultation with Taiwan and US lawmakers.
“As the PRC [People’s Republic of China] continues to increase pressure on Taiwan — including through heightened military air and maritime presence around Taiwan — and engages in attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, we’re providing Taiwan with what it needs to maintain its self-defense capabilities,” US National Security Council China and Taiwan Senior Director Laura Rosenberger said in a statement.
Reuters last month reported that the Biden administration was planning new equipment sales to Taiwan, but that it would sustain Taiwan’s current military systems and fulfill existing orders, not offer new capabilities, despite the heightened tensions following Pelosi’s visit.
The Pentagon said the equipment and support would not alter the basic military balance in the Indo-Pacific region.
US officials said the sale does not reflect any change in Taiwan policy.
“These proposed sales are routine cases to support Taiwan’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability,” a state department spokesperson said, requesting anonymity.
In Taipei, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) yesterday thanked the US government for approving arms deals for the fifth time this year.
The planned arms packages are a demonstration of Washington’s emphasis of Taiwan’s national defense needs and commitment to the nation’s security, he said.
Taiwan does not seek conflict, but it will demonstrate a firm resolve to defend itself and safeguard its sovereignty, Chang said.
The government plans to continue working with like-minded partners to contribute to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, he added.
The Ministry of National Defense said in a statement that the proposed US arms sales would help the military tackle increasingly “severe threats” posed by China’s “gray-zone” pressure campaign in the seas and airspace near Taiwan by elevating the effectiveness of the nation’s long-range missile warning systems.
US-Taiwan Business Council president Rupert Hammond-Chambers said his organization opposes what he called a “limited approach” to arms sales to Taiwan.
“As the [Chinese] People’s Liberation Army [PLA] recently demonstrated in its mock blockade, the island [Taiwan] faces a range of threats that require a range of capabilities. To deny the island the ability to mount a full defense will, over time, create new gaps in Taiwan’s defenses that the PLA can exploit,” he said in a statement.
The sales must be reviewed by the US Congress, but Democratic and Republican congressional aides said they do not expect opposition.
Meanwhile, Liu Pengyu (劉鵬宇), a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said in a statement that the possible arms sale “severely jeopardizes China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
“China will resolutely take legitimate and necessary countermeasures in light of the development of the situation,” he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS