US approves $385 million arms sale to Taiwan By Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of F-16 jets and radar spare parts to Taiwan for $385 million, the Pentagon said on Friday, triggering a sensitive move by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. A day before doing. Pacific Voyage

Despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Taipei, the United States is bound by law to provide Chinese-claimed Taiwan with the means to defend itself despite Beijing’s continued anger.

Democratically governed Taiwan has rejected China’s claims of sovereignty.

China has been increasing military pressure against Taiwan, including two rounds of war games this year, and security sources told Reuters that Beijing is planning to coincide with Lai’s tour of the Pacific, including the US territories of Hawaii and Guam. includes stopping. .

The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale includes $320 million in spare parts and support for F-16 fighter jets and active electronically scanned array radars and related equipment.

The State Department also approved the potential sale of improved mobile subscriber equipment and an estimated $65 million in aid to Taiwan, the Pentagon said. The prime contractor for the $65 million sale is General Dynamics (NYSE: ).

Taiwan’s defense ministry said it expected the sale to be “effective” within a month and that the equipment would help maintain the readiness of the F-16 fleet and “build a credible defense force”.

“Taiwan and the United States will continue to strengthen their security partnership and work together to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region,” it said in a statement.

Last month, the United States announced a potential $2 billion arms sales package to Taiwan, including the first-ever delivery to the combat island of an advanced air defense missile system tested in Ukraine.

Lai left for Hawaii on Saturday, an official stopover en route to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, three of the 12 countries that still have formal diplomatic ties with Taipei. He will also stop in Guam.

Hawaii and Guam are home to US military bases.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: An F-16 fighter jet takes off during a NATO media day

China on Friday urged the United States to exercise “extreme caution” in its relations with Taiwan.

The State Department said it saw no justification for Lai’s use of a private, routine and unauthorized traffic as an excuse to provoke.

Leave a Comment