Fourth US arms sale under Biden to Taiwan, despite tensions
Taiwan applauds the United States' approval of a $120 million sale of naval weaponry.
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Taiwan welcomes fourth US arms sale under Biden.
Taiwan applauded the United States' approval of a $120 million sale of naval weaponry, which the two partners said would improve the island's "combat preparedness" and ability to collaborate with American forces.
The United States is "required" by Congress to sell Taiwan military supplies to enable "its self-defense against Beijing's substantially bigger armed forces."
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has faced bipartisan pressure to strengthen ties with Taiwan as Washington seeks to challenge China's rise in the Asia-Pacific region.
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On Wednesday, Washington said it had approved the sale of spare and maintenance parts for ships and ship systems, as well as "logistical technical assistance," all of which would improve Taiwan's "interoperability with the US and other allies."
"The proposed sale will contribute to the sustainment of the recipient's surface vessel fleet, enhancing its ability to meet current and future threats," the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement. It would be the fourth arms sale to Taiwan under Biden, and the third this year.
"Practical needs"
Taipei said on Thursday that the agreement would go into force in one month.
The equipment would help Taiwan's ships "maintain proper equipment... and meet the practical needs of combat readiness tasks in light of recent frequent activities by Chinese aircraft and warships around our sea and air", Taipei's Defense Ministry said in a statement.
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The fourth package of arms comes amid rising tension in the region. Last week, China stated unequivocally its opposition to US-Taiwan trade discussions, following the announcement of a fresh attempt to enhance economic ties by Taipei and Washington.
On a visit to Japan in late May, Biden appeared to defy decades of US policy when, in answer to a question, he stated that the US would protect Taiwan militarily if it was "invaded by China."
The tension continues to build up as only last week, the United States State Department updated its fact sheet on Taiwan again to bring back a line about not supporting formal independence for the island that China sees as an inalienable part of its sovereign territories.
The State Department in May changed the wording on the section of its website dedicated to Taiwan, removing wording on not supporting the island's independence and acknowledging China's position that Taiwan is part of its territories, sparking outrage from Beijing.
Washington claimed that the wording did not reflect a policy change, followed by changing the wording once again to reintroduce a line saying "we do not support Taiwan independence."
