United States: The White House has announced a military aid package worth $345 million for Taiwan as part of its support for the self-ruled island that is claimed by China.
“The package will include “defence articles,” military education, and training,” US President Mr. Joe Biden’s administration noted in a statement.
The announcement did not provide details about the weapons or equipment that would be provided. According to reports citing unnamed officials, the supplies would include portable air defence systems, small arms munitions, and reconnaissance equipment.
The move prompted an immediate response from Beijing, which has promised to “reunify” democratically ruled Taiwan with the Chinese mainland by force if necessary.
In a statement, Mr. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, stated that the US should stop selling arms to Taiwan and “stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait.”
The US does not officially recognise Taiwan, which has just 13 diplomatic allies but has sought to enhance its defences amid Beijing’s increasingly aggressive stance towards the island, including regular incursions of warplanes and naval vessels.
Earlier this month, China conducted major military exercises around Taiwan for the second time in 2023, sending several warships and planes close to the Taiwanese coastline.
The US has approved billions of dollars of military aid for Taiwan in recent years, including an $8 billion deal to deliver 66 F-16 fighter jets by 2026.
Mr. Biden’s backing of Taiwan and the independence-leaning administration of Ms. Tsai Ing-wen have added to mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing, which has accused the US of turning the island into a “powder keg.”
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