The State Department on Wednesday approved a potential $619 million weapons sale to Taiwan for hundreds of missiles to arm the island’s US-made F-16 fighter jets.
The approval of the deal notifies Congress and begins a period where the sale could be blocked, but it shouldn’t have a problem in either chamber as there is strong bipartisan support for arming Taiwan.
According to the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the deal includes 200 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), 100 AGM-88B High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM), and related equipment.
The DSCA said the principal contractors for the deal are Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Lockheed Martin is currently building new F-16s for Taiwan that were part of a purchase finalized in 2020 for 66 fighter jets worth about $8 billion. The new F-16s are expected to be delivered in a few years.
The US has always sold weapons to Taiwan since severing diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979, but the arms sales have spiked in recent years as the US has become more hawkish toward Beijing. According to The Wall Street Journal, since 2019, the US has approved more than $20 billion in military aircraft, Javelin and Stinger missiles, howitzers, and other munitions for Taiwan.
China is strongly opposed to US arms sales to Taiwan and denounced the approval of the latest deal. “Such sales undermine China’s sovereignty and security interests and harm China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China firmly opposes this,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.
We sent $100 billion of bombs on Ukraine, how is that going for them? The people of Taiwan don’t want a war or more arms sales, they want peace and the status quo.
Yes, I too wonder what will happen when this regime loses the coming election??
If you mean our regime, nothing will substantially change. The MIC IS our government.
This is exactly what people want. But just like anywhere in “democracies” a cabal comes into power through power of money and stealthy infiltration of government bureaucracy. Bureaucrats are powerful as they are supposedly apolitical and survive elecrions and governments.
This has happened in UK back in 18-19th century, in US 20th century, in France after revolution, Germany after 19th century unification. Throughout “old” Europe, a sleezy coexistence between various aristocratic titles and money has steared European politics since the era of “reason”.
As is historically always true, political systems thrive under a certain set of conditions, and when those change — systems either reform or break. They are no longer viable. Democracy s a system of controlled greed. Groups come to power, set up privileges for their backers. All elections a complish is a change of snots in the troth. But lately, sensing danger, some elites have concluded they are more powerful than others, and are changing the rules of the game by denying the others to take power and share of spoils. This is how we revert back to aristocracy, one group takung power permanently.
Taiwan is no different. The “democrsts” in power are not supported by population. Oppisition just took capital Taipei. But why are they not likely to win general elections? Because of electoral engineering. A “new” political options would be crested to syphin off votes for the opposition. In Europe Green parties — sll of them -/ are entirely the product of political engineering.
Oligarchy invests in politicsl platforms that will attract certain populations tired of psrties that are essentially same. In Europe itvworked, And when time came, Grern parties in Germany, Austria and elsewhere have shown theit true colors, Insanely warmongering, destroying environmentally good energy options like gas pipelines, and favoring natural gas transport in gigantic bottles accross Atlantic burning massive amountvof diesel fuel.
It is all about DESPERATE need for capital expansion. It has slowed down as tge combined effect of true decolonization, ie economic devrlopment and independent wealth creation accross the globe. Western capital is no longer dictating the speed and tge direction of development glibally,
In short term, wars are expanding calital demand, but without correspinding benefit. There are no earnings — except the hope that countries chartingp own wsy would be either frightened into giving access to capital plunder of their markets and resources -/ or be defeated.
This is why Russia has always been target of European would be conquerors. Now becoming American capital obsession. The vast resources, large area, small population — incredibly tempting. If conquered capital expansion wiuld be phenomenal. A new century of plunder called investments is an obssesdion of “democracies”. No more fighting among themselves for power and spoils. Return to happy era of domination. If Rusdia falters, theory goes, China, India , Brazil and other recalcitrant countries would relant,
You have stated a very complicated premise that sounds logical.considering the Capitalist motives of the MIC and the Masters of Mankind.Plunder away America.
We sent $100 billion of bombs on Ukraine, how is that going for them? The people of Taiwan don’t want a war or more arms sales, they want peace and the status quo.
It’s the U.S.’s same playbook for Ukraine.
Wonder how much the US taxpayers are chipping in?
This is all about increasing the profits of US defense contractors, enhancing the wealth of the so called 1%. Taiwan wouldn’t have much success with these weapons against Chinese air defense systems, if it came to that.
What could ten additional pawns do against ten queens?