US to sell Taiwan $95 million worth of weapons, training and more
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Washington has been working to smother China indirectly by strengthening Taiwan.
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Armored vehicles parade in front of Taiwan’s presidential palace. (Getty Images)
The US State Department has approved selling Taiwan equipment, training and more to support the Patriot Air Defense System worth up to $95 million, according to the Pentagon on Tuesday.
The package includes training, planning, fielding, deployment, operation, maintenance and sustainment of the Patriot Defense System and associated equipment.
"This proposed sale serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability," the Pentagon said.
Read more: Pentagon Official terms Ukraine a ‘Case Study’ for Taiwan
"The proposed sale will help to sustain the recipient's missile density and ensure readiness for air operations. The recipient will use this capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen homeland defense."
Washington is obligated by its laws to provide Taiwan with weapons, despite the absence of formal ties and the direct consequence of provoking China. Despite Beijing's warnings, Washington has remained Taiwan's leading arms supplier.
Taiwan's presidential office revealed that this would be the third arms sale since Joe Biden assumed office.
"In the face of China's continuing military expansion and provocation, Taiwan must fully demonstrate its strong determination to defend itself," said the Taiwanese foreign ministry in a statement.
Raytheon is the prime contractor in this sale, which has not been inked yet.
Yesterday, China's Ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, slammed Australia, the UK, and the US (AUKUS) after the three countries announced that they will cooperate on developing hypersonic weapons.
Zhang considered that countries should avoid creating another Ukraine-like crisis, pointing out that "anyone who does not want to see the Ukrainian crisis should refrain from doing things that may lead the other parts of the world into a crisis like this."
"As the Chinese saying goes, if you do not like it, do not impose it against the others," the Ambassador mentioned.
NATO will target China next
Although the North Atlantic Treaty Organization supposedly has its hands full with disrupting Eastern Europe and targeting Russia, it seems it also harbors plans to target China.
According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, NATO intends to deepen cooperation with its Asian allies responding to the impending "security challenge" coming from China, which refuses to condemn Russia's military operation in Ukraine.
Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, Stoltenberg announced that the alliance will be hosting foreign ministers from NATO states in addition to Finland, Sweden, Georgia and the European Union. Asia-Pacific partners were invited as well, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. He said that the current "security crisis" has "global implications."
The ministers will be discussing new strategic concepts regarding the war in Ukraine in addition to, for the first time, dealing with China's "growing influence and coercive policies on the global stage which pose a systemic challenge to our security and to our democracies.”
Stoltenberg hopes that there will be enhanced cooperation between NATO and Asia-Pacific partners on "arms control, cyber, hybrid and technology."
