Washington, Dec 18: The Trump administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than USD 10 billion that includes medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, drawing an angry response from China.
The State Department announced the sales late Wednesday during a nationally televised address by President Donald Trump, who made scant mention of foreign policy issues and did not speak about China or Taiwan at all. US-Chinese tensions have ebbed and flowed during Trump’s second term, largely over trade and tariffs but also over China’s increasing aggressiveness toward Taiwan, which Beijing has said must reunify with the mainland.
The eight arms sales agreements announced Wednesday cover 82 high-mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS, and 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS — similar to what the US had been providing Ukraine during the Biden administration to defend itself from Russia — worth more than USD 4 billion.
They also include 60 self-propelled howitzer systems and related equipment worth more than USD 4 billion and drones valued at more than USD 1 billion.
Other sales in the package include military software valued at more than USD 1 billion, Javelin and TOW missiles worth more than USD 700 million, helicopter spare parts worth USD 96 million and refurbishment kits for Harpoon missiles worth USD 91 million.
In separate but nearly identical statements, the State Department said the sales serve “US 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 proposed sale(s) will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region,” the statements said.
China’s Foreign Ministry attacked the move, saying it would violate diplomatic agreements between China and the US; gravely harm China’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity; and undermine regional stability.
“The Taiwan independence’ forces on the island seek independence through force and resist reunification through force, squandering the hard-earned money of the people to purchase weapons at the cost of turning Taiwan into a powder keg,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.
“This cannot save the doomed fate of Taiwan independence’ but will only accelerate the push of the Taiwan Strait toward a dangerous situation of military confrontation and war. The US support for Taiwan Independence’ through arms will only end up backfiring. Using Taiwan to contain China will not succeed,” he added.
Under federal law, the US is obligated to assist Taiwan with its self-defence, a point that has become increasingly contentious with China, which has vowed to take Taiwan by force, if necessary.
Taiwan’s Defence Ministry in a statement Thursday expressed gratitude to the US over the arms sale, which it said would help Taiwan maintain “sufficient self-defence capabilities” and bring strong deterrent capabilities. Taiwan’s bolstering of its defence “is the foundation for maintaining regional peace and stability,” the ministry said.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung similarly thanked the US for its “long-term support for regional security and Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities,” which he said are key for deterring a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, the body of water separating Taiwan from China’s mainland.
The arms sales comes as Taiwan’s government has pledged to raise defence spending to 3.3 per cent of the island’s gross domestic product next year and to reach 5 per cent by 2030.
The boost came after Trump and the Pentagon requested that Taiwan spend as much as 10 per cent of its GDP on its defence, a percentage well above what the US or any of its major allies spend on defence. The demand has faced pushback from Taiwan’s opposition KMT party and some of its population.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te last month announced a special USD 40 billion budget for arms purchases, including to build an air defence system with high-level detection and interception capabilities called Taiwan Dome. The budget will be allocated over eight years, from 2026 to 2033.
The US boost in military assistance to Taiwan was previewed in legislation adopted by Congress that Trump is expected to sign shortly.
Last week, the Chinese embassy in Washington denounced the legislation, known as the National Defence Authorization Act, saying it unfairly targeted China as an aggressor. The US Senate passed the bill Wednesday. (AP)
