US greenlights $1.1 billion arms deal with Taiwan

International

-DW News

Washington,
Sep
03:
The
United
States
on
Friday
announced
a
potential
$1.1
billion
(€1.1
billion)
arms
sale
to
Taiwan,
amid
heightened
tensions
between
Washington
and
Beijing.

The
State
Department
said
the
arms
package
aims
to
boost
Taiwan’s
defense
capabilities
and
includes
$355
million
for
Harpoon
air-to-sea
missiles
and
$85
million
for
Sidewinder
air-to-air
missiles.

An
amount
of
$655
million
would
go
towards
a
surveillance
radar
system
to
help
Taiwan
track
incoming
missiles.

A
spokesperson
for
the
State
Department
called
the
package
“essential
for
Taiwan’s
security.”

Biden:
Trump
hardliners
threaten
to
take
US
‘backwards’

China-Taiwan
tensions

The
announcement
of
the
possible
deal
comes
during
a
time
of
escalating
tensions
between
Washington
and
Beijing.
Visits
to
Taiwan
from
senior
US
officials
in
recent
weeks
have
prompted
China
to
launch
military
drills.

To
date
the
highest
ranking
US
official
to
visit
the
island
has
been
US
House
Speaker
Nancy
Pelosi
who
spent
three
days
earlier
in
August.

China
claims
Taiwan
as
its
own
territory
and
launched
massive
military
drills
in
the
wake
of
Pelosi”s
visit.
It
has
warned
of
military
aggression
if
provoked
by
the
United
States.
While
Washington
has
no
formal
ties
with
Taiwan,
it
is
bound
by
law
to
provide
it
with
the
means
to
defend
itself.

Taipei
says
the
People’s
Republic
of
China
has
never
ruled
the
island
and
therefore
has
no
right
to
claim
it.
Taiwan
believes
that
the
increase
in
China’s
aggression
reveals
a
plan
to
invade
the
island.Taiwan
has
vowed
to
defend
itself
in
the
event
of
an
attack
from
China.

Source: DW