Washington:
The US has approved the sale to Taiwan of $619 million worth of ordnance for F-16 fighter jets, the Pentagon announced Wednesday, in a move likely to anger Beijing.
The package includes 100 AGM-88B High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM), 200 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), launchers and dummy missiles for training, the Pentagon said in a position.
The sale will enhance Taiwan’s “ability to provide for its airspace defense, regional security and interoperability with the United States.”
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and China over Taiwan, as well as last month’s downing of a balloon over US airspace that Washington says was a Chinese surveillance device.
Taiwan has been self-governing for more than seven decades, but Beijing considers it a renegade province.
The US State Department said separately that the sale is in line with the Taiwan Relations Act and Washington’s One China policy, which accepts there is only one state called China.
“The United States’ support for Taiwan and the steps Taiwan is taking to improve its self-defense capabilities contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and in the region,” the State Department said.
Taiwan said it welcomed the first US arms sales of the year and the ninth so far during President Joe Biden’s term.
“In light of China’s continued military expansion and provocative behavior, Taiwan will continue to actively improve its self-defense capabilities,” said Jeff Liu, spokesman for the State Department.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
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