Beijing’s military exercise is a response to US lawmakers’ support for Taiwan.
Washington, United States:
The United States said Thursday it planned to sell Taiwan $440 million in ammunition and parts, its latest effort to boost the self-ruled island’s defense amid rising tensions with China.
The sale is comparatively small-scale and does not extend the range of US arms to Taiwan, but the United States and China delicately move to stabilize their troubled relations.
In a notification to Congress, the State Department said it would sell Taiwan $332.2 million in 30mm ammunition and related equipment, and $108 million in spare and repair parts for wheeled vehicles and weapons.
The sale will help Taiwan “maintain a credible defensive capability” but “will not alter the basic military balance in the region”.
“This sale will improve the security of the recipient and help maintain political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region,” it added.
Congress has the authority to reject the sale, but such a move is highly unlikely, as lawmakers are pushing for the United States to go ahead and approve Taiwan’s purchase requests rather than provide weapons directly. .
In a decades-old policy, the United States sells arms to Taiwan to ensure its self-defense but only recognizes Beijing, which claims a self-governing democracy and has not ruled out seizing it through force.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a rare visit to Beijing in early June, in which his hosts vowed no deal on Taiwan, although the two sides expressed hope to maintain communication to prevent tensions from escalating Was.
Beijing has twice in the past year held military exercises in the waters around Taiwan in response to endorsements from top US lawmakers.
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