The US has “quite a high” sense of urgency in helping Taiwan bolster its military capabilities and is working on speeding up delayed weapons deliveries, Minister of Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said yesterday.
Taiwan has complained of repeated delays in weapons ordered from the US, the nation’s top international backer and arms supplier.
One of the major delays is to a 2019 order for 66 Lockheed Martin F-16V jets equipped with more advanced avionics, weapons and radar systems.
Photo: CNA
Deliveries of the ordered weapons systems have arrived and more are arriving, Koo told reporters at the legislature.
“As for the portions that have experienced delays, the United States has already set up a special project team to accelerate the relevant weapons programs and help us catch up to schedule as quickly as possible,” he said.
“I have also repeatedly explained that the US’ sense of urgency in helping us strengthen our self-defense capabilities as quickly as possible is in fact quite high,” he added.
Deliveries of F-16V jets would begin this year, with production at “full capacity,” the ministry said.
US Defense Security Cooperation Agency director Michael Miller last week said he had signed a directive in 2023 to prioritize Taiwan above other buyers, and that security cooperation and assistance for Taiwan was a top priority.
The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
Arms sales are a constant source of friction between Washington and Beijing, which has demanded that they stop.
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