The State Department approved an arms sale to Taiwan worth approximately $1.8 billion and formally notified Congress of the deal on Wednesday. The news comes a week after the Trump administration informally notified Congress about the sales.
The administration approved three weapons packages. Among the weapons being sold are 135 Boeing-made cruise-missiles known as Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response Missiles, which have an estimated value of $1.008 billion.
Another package consists of 11 truck-based rocket launchers made by Lockheed Martin called High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, worth an estimated $436.1 million. The administration also approved the sale of six MS-110 reconnaissance sensor pods that can be attached to Taiwan’s fighter jets, estimated at $367.2 million.
Reports from last week said the administration informally notified Congress about the sale of five weapons packages, so two more are expected to go through.
Since the US opened up diplomatic relations with Beijing and severed formal ties with Taipei in 1979, Washington has continued to sell weapons to Taiwan to discourage China from invading. The tradition is lucrative for US weapons makers. In the 2019 fiscal year, Taiwan requested more weapons from the US than any other country.
I wonder what would result if China, or Russia… decided to sell weapons to a renegade State of the USA to fight against the rest of the USA. Taiwan is part of China, whatever the US or Taiwan says.
Taiwan is “part of China” in the same sense that Cuba is “part of Spain.” That is, it’s occasionally been occupied by the Chinese.
I referred to the legal situation, but of course to the USA that means nothing. Cuba part of Spain???
Taiwan is an island that has never been part of China. Starting in the 16th century, some Han Chinese settled in Taiwan, shortly thereafter being displaced by the Dutch. Later the Qing Dynasty did manage to seize control of Taiwan for a while, before the Japanese took it and finally manage to wrest total control of it from its natives. It has never, at any time, been ruled by the regime that currently rules China.
Cuba is an island that has never been part of Spain. Starting in the 15th century, some Spaniards settled in Cuba, from which they were dislodged by the Americans in 1898, after which the Americans were dislodged by the Cubans themselves in 1958. Cuba has never, at any time, been ruled by the regime that currently rules Spain.
“But I have a word, China, and I WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANT Taiwan to be included in that word” makes about as much sense as WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANTING Cuba to be part of Spain.