US greenlights more arms sales to Taiwan

The US Department of State has approved the possible sale of air-defense systems and radars to Taiwan. According to the Pentagon, the purchase of American weapons by Taipei would necessitate that several dozen US nationals travel there.

Beijing, which sees the self-governing island as part of the People’s Republic of China, views these relations as a violation of its sovereignty.

Several days ago, Washington delivered the first batch of hundreds of Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles to Taipei under a deal approved in 2020.

In a press release on Friday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency within the US Department of Defense announced that it had obtained approval for a “possible Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.16 billion.” According to the document, Taipei had requested three units of the Raytheon-manufactured system and 123 missiles for them.
The statement noted that the implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of approximately 26 US government and 34 contractor representatives “to travel to the recipient for an extended period” to provide technical support and training to local military personnel.

A separate press release that same day revealed that the Department of State had also given the go-ahead for a potential sale of “AN/TPS-77 and AN/TPS-78 Radar Turnkey Systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of $828 million” to Taiwan.

Late last month, US President Joe Biden authorized additional military support for Taiwan worth $567 million.

During a meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Beijing in late August, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Washington to stop selling weapons to Taiwan.

Meanwhile, speaking during a press briefing last week, Chen Binhua, the spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Beijing will never commit itself to “renouncing the use of force” against Taipei. This scenario could materialize if the self-governing island declares independence, the official clarified.

The warning came shortly after China held large-scale military drills near the island.

Following their defeat in the Chinese Civil War in 1949, nationalist forces fled to the island, establishing their own administration there. However, only a handful of nations currently recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty, with most of the world complying with Beijing’s request that it be seen as part of the People’s Republic.

On January 1, 1979, the United States recognized the People’s Republic of China and established diplomatic relations with it as the sole legitimate government of both Taiwan and the mainland, according to the US State Department. However, Washington continues to maintain close relations with Taiwan and sells it arms.