30-6-2023 (WASHINGTON) The Biden administration has announced a significant arms sale to Taiwan, valued at over $1 billion, amidst rising tensions between the United States and China regarding the island’s status.
The State Department revealed that the $1.09 billion arms package includes $355 million for Harpoon air-to-sea missiles and $85 million for Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
The largest component of the sale, however, is a $655 million logistics support package intended for Taiwan’s surveillance radar program, which plays a crucial role in providing air defense warnings. As China intensifies military exercises near Taiwan, deeming it a renegade province, early warning air defense systems have gained even greater significance.
The State Department justified the provision of this equipment by stating that it is necessary for Taiwan to “maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.” The administration formally notified Congress of the arms sale after business hours on Friday.
The announcement emphasized that these deals adhere to the U.S. policy of recognizing only one China. Additionally, the administration urged Beijing to “cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan.”
Late on Friday, Laura Rosenberger, the White House’s senior director for China and Taiwan, commented on the matter, noting that as China escalates pressure on Taiwan and seeks to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait through heightened military presence, the United States is providing Taiwan with the necessary means to uphold its self-defense capabilities.
The tension and strong rhetoric between the U.S. and China regarding Taiwan have escalated significantly since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island last month. Following Pelosi’s trip to Taipei, several congressional visits and visits by U.S. state governors have occurred, all of which China has condemned.
In a demonstration of the heightened tensions, Taiwan’s military announced on Thursday that it had successfully shot down a drone near one of its island outposts close to the Chinese coast. A day earlier, Taiwan reported warning off drones near three of the islands it occupies off the coast of Xiamen, a Chinese port city.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has expressed its willingness to use force to annex the island if necessary. Since their separation after a civil war in 1949, the two sides have had no official relations, with China severing even informal contacts following the election of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who leans towards independence, in 2016.
In response to the escalating situation, Tsai’s administration has called for the enhancement of anti-drone defenses, resulting in a proposed 12.9% increase in the Defense Ministry’s annual budget for the following year. This would amount to an additional 47.5 billion New Taiwan dollars ($1.6 billion), bringing the total defense spending to 415.1 billion NTD ($13.8 billion).
The U.S. characterized China’s military drills last month as a disproportionate reaction and responded by sending two guided missile cruisers through the Taiwan Strait, an area China claims as its sovereign waters.
