The US State Department has given its OK to a major arms sales for Taiwan, including two Perry-class Frigates and a large package of weapons.
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It’s being reported that the Obama administration may authorize the sale of two guided missile frigates to Taiwan as soon as this week.
The US said the deal was consistent with its “long-standing policy on arms sales to Taiwan”.
Past US weapons sales to Taiwan have attracted strong condemnation in China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province.
China protested the sale of $1.83 billion in arms to Taiwan, summoning a US diplomat to the foreign ministry to lodge a formal complaint and saying the country would impose sanctions on companies involved.
“The Chinese side firmly opposes any arms sale from the U.S.to Taiwan”, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei in a press briefing in Beijing.
According to the USNI, the package would include 13 Phalanx ship defense systems at a cost of $416 million, 36 AAV-7 amphibious armored transports for $375 million, $345 million worth of TOW and Javelin anti-tank missiles, as well as $217 million worth of man-portable Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.
The U.S. has always been the primary supplier to the island’s armed forces.
The Taiwan issue dates back to 1949 when, with the Chinese Civil War turning decisively in the Communists’ (CPC) favour, the ROC government led by the Kuomintang (KMT) retreated to Taipei, in Taiwan, while the CPC proclaimed the PRC government in Beijing.
Washington angered Beijing in October when a United States warship sailed close to the artificial islets that are believed to be military bases in the disputed waters. Taiwan boosted its defense budget to $10.2 billion previous year from $9.1 billion in 2010, though China has nearly doubled its military spending to $216 billion over the same period.
“This is something we’ve done through successive administrations and we’ve had an unending support for Taiwan being able to maintain its defensive capability”, Davis said.
On Wednesday, Ma Xiaoguang, China’s spokesman for the Cabinet’s Taiwan Affairs Office, reiterated China’s opposition to arms sales to Taiwan from any country and called for Taiwan to “treasure” improved relations with the mainland.
China serves as the United States’ increasingly influential strategic rival that also serves as an important economic collaborator.
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Taiwan is to elect a new president, with Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning opposition Democratic Progressive Party the favorite to win.
