US approves possible sale of military assistance to Taiwan
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The US could sell Taiwan military aid amid rising military pressure from Beijing against US intervention.
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The US approves the possible sale of military assistance to Taiwan.
The US State Department approves the potential sale of military-technical support to Taiwan worth an estimated $108 million, according to the Pentagon.
The US maintains only unofficial connections with Taiwan, but President Joe Biden's administration has pledged to increase interaction with the island.
Taiwan has sought the most recent assistance, which includes spare and maintenance parts for tanks and combat vehicles as well as technical and logistical support from the US government and contractors, according to the Pentagon.
"The proposed sale will contribute to the sustainment of the recipient's vehicles, small arms, combat weapon systems, and logistical support items, enhancing its ability to meet current and future threats," the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
It would also improve Taiwan's military interoperability with the US and other allies, and the island's armed forces would have no trouble absorbing the equipment and support, according to the report.
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The notification from the State Department does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that discussions have ended. However, Taiwan's Defense Ministry stated that the agreement would "become effective" within a month.
"In the face of the expanding military threat of the Chinese Communists, properly maintaining equipment is as important as newly purchased weapons and equipment," it added in a statement.
Successive US administrations have urged Taiwan to modernize its military to become a "porcupine" in the face of China, promoting the sale of affordable, transportable, and survivable - or "asymmetric" - weaponry that could withstand any potential initial onslaught by China's stronger force.
However, some US business groups have attacked the Biden administration's Taiwan arms sales policy, claiming it is excessively restrictive and fails to confront China's military challenges.
In a statement, US-Taiwan Business Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers hailed the announcement, but said it showed the administration was focused on Taiwan's sustainment and munitions support, and that force modernization "is no longer a priority."
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It is worth noting that earlier today, the US Navy said on Saturday that a destroyer traveled near the disputed Spratly Islands, marking the second such "freedom of navigation" drill in the South China Sea in a week.
China's navy said it had "driven away" the same ship, the USS Benfold, as it traveled near the disputed Paracel Islands, on Wednesday.
The US military actions have seriously violated China's national sovereignty and security, undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea, and violated international law, according to a Chinese military spokesperson.
