The Biden administration signed off on two major new arms sales on Tuesday Taiwan confessions that are troubling China, The State Department said it has approved the sale of aircraft parts worth more than $425 million to support the fleet F-16 fighter jets, C-130 transport aircraft and other weapon systems are supplied by the United States from Taiwan.
The package includes $330 million in standard parts and $98 million in non-standard equipment, as well as related accessories and logistics. The sale was announced weeks after President Joe Biden to meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, for talks in Indonesia, where China’s increasingly aggressive behavior towards Taiwan was a major topic.
China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has vowed to reunite the island with the mainland by force if necessary. He has roundly condemned previous US arms sales to Taiwan as a violation of Washington’s “one China policy” and is expected to respond similarly to Tuesday’s announcement.
But subsequent US administrations on both sides have said that relations with Taiwan are governed by the government. Taiwan Relations Law which allows the sale of military equipment to the island to defend itself against potential threats from China.
“This proposed sale serves the national, economic, and security interests of the United States by supporting the recipient’s continued efforts to maintain a credible defensive capability,” the State Department said of the latest approvals.
“The proposed sale will help enhance the security of the recipient and help maintain political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region,” it said, adding that it would “contribute to the continuity of the recipient’s air fleet, enhancing its capability.” ” To deal with current and future threats while providing defensive and transport capabilities vital to regional security.
