Hill aides: US plans 1st arms sale to Taiwan in 4 years

Taiwan will get armored transports, a variety of anti-tank missiles, ship-mounted point defense guns, and other military equipment as part of the package, as well as two refurbished Oliver Hazard Perry-class missile frigates.

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province since the two sides were separated during the Chinese civil war that ended in 1950.

A congressional staffer said that members he had talked to were confident the White House would inform the US Congress about the arms sales package this week. But that package also included a promise to supply new diesel-electric attack submarines-which the United States does not manufacture and, ultimately, those vessels were never delivered.

“No one can shake the firm will of the Chinese government and people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to oppose foreign interference”.

“We urge the D.R. aspect to earnestly acknowledge the excessive sensitivity and critical hurt of weapons sales to Taiwan”. The deals have yet to win shareholder and regulatory approvals in Taiwan, however.

More recently, questions around the political and legal status of Taiwan have focused on the alternative prospects of political unification with China or full Taiwanese independence. There’s been mounting bipartisan concern that Taiwan is inadequately armed to defend itself against an increasingly powerful mainland China.

The U.S. maintained there’s no need for it to hurt the relationship, which has also been strained by China’s island-building in the South China Sea and alleged cybertheft.

China was angered when the United States of America despatched a guided-missile destroyer shut to one of many islands in October and S-fifty two bombers close by final month.

The timing of the sale seemed carefully calibrated to minimize friction with Beijing, analysts said, coming several weeks ahead of elections in Taiwan that are expected to be won by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, which is far ahead in the polls.

“While recent relations between Taiwan and China have been more encouraging, we remain concerned that China’s ongoing military modernization, and the threat it poses to peace and security in the Taiwan Strait, is not being adequately addressed”, read the letter.

“Our want not to upset Beijing should not come on the expense of Taiwan’s safety”, Engel stated.

While a State Department spokesman noted that the sale was in-line with the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.

The U.S. government announced a $1.8 billion arms sale to Taiwan Wednesday that if approved by Congress would send high profile defense items such as warships and surface to air missiles to help bolster the small island nation’s military.