U.S. Approves $750M Weapons Sale To Taiwan

The US State Department has approved a possible $750 million weapons sale to Taiwan, the government said, in a move that drew a swift objection from Beijing and could add pressure to already strained US-China ties, Kyodo News reported.

Photo Insert: The latest move by the U.S. - their playing a significant role in beefing up Taiwan's military defense did not sit well with Beijing

The potential deal includes 40 self-propelled howitzer artillery systems and related equipment and serves "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 Defense Security Cooperation Agency under the Defense Department said in a news release.

The move follows a series of US arms sales to Taipei as China steps up its military and diplomatic pressure against the self-ruled democratic island, which Beijing views as a renegade province awaiting reunification.

On Thursday, the Chinese government voiced strong opposition to the U.S. approval of the potential arms sale, saying it has "lodged a stern protest" with the administration of President Joe Biden.

The Foreign Ministry urged Washington to immediately withdraw the sales plan while indicating that Beijing would take countermeasures.

The administration of former President Donald Trump had notified Congress of 20 proposed major Foreign Military Sales cases for Taiwan, with a combined value of over $18 billion, according to a Congressional Research Service report issued in July.

Under the Taiwan Relations Act, which Congress passed in 1979 after the United States switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, Washington maintains substantive though unofficial relations with Taiwan and supplies the island with arms and spare parts to maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the latest proposed sale of the artillery system, which was notified to Congress on Wednesday, will help enhance Taiwan's "ability to meet current and future threats" while "further enhancing interoperability with the United States and other allies."

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