Taiwan yesterday thanked the US for approving a military transfer of US$80 million under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program which, foreign media said, is normally used for sovereign states.
The US Department of State on Wednesday notified the US Congress of the aid, saying that the items provided through the FMF would “be used to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities through joint and combined defense capability and enhanced maritime domain awareness and maritime security capability,” The Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday.
After years of assisting Taiwan through its Foreign Military Sales program, this is the first time the US is providing military aid under the FMF to Taiwan.
Photo: EPA
The transfer is part of the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, which US President Joe Biden signed in December, that allows up to US$2 billion in direct loans to Taiwan for military purposes.
The AP said that although the package is “modest” in amount, “the implications of using the so-called Foreign Military Financing program to provide it will likely infuriate China.”
“FMF simply enables eligible partner nations to purchase US defense articles, services, and training through either Foreign Military Sales or, for a limited number of countries, through the foreign military financing of direct commercial contracts program,” The AP quoted two US officials as saying on condition of anonymity.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The language used in the aid “implied that Taiwan is or could be compared to a ‘nation’ or a ‘country,’” The AP said, adding that the only other time the US has provided military assistance under the FMF to a non-nation-state was to the African Union.
A State Department spokesperson told the Central News Agency that the aid is in compliance with the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and the US’ long-held “one China” policy remains unchanged.
US Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, issued a statement on Wednesday saying that he was glad the Biden administration decided to provide the aid to Taiwan.
“These weapons will not only help Taiwan and protect other democracies in the region, but also strengthen the US’ deterrence posture and ensure our national security from an increasingly aggressive CCP,” he said, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.
The notification provided to the US Congress said that the items that would be paid for under FMF might include: air and coastal defense systems, armored vehicles, infantry fighting vehicles, drones, ballistic missile and cyber defenses, and advanced communications equipment, The AP said.
The fund might also be used to pay for protective gear, an array of small, medium and heavy weapons systems, ammunition, armored and infantry fighting vehicles, as well as training for Taiwanese military forces, it said.
The package followed the military assistance of US$345 million provided by the US to Taiwan in July through the Presidential Drawdown Authority that the US Congress authorized last year and the US$500 million arms sale package, which includes F-16 Infrared Search and Track systems, to the nation earlier this month.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for helping Taiwan strengthen its self-defense capabilities based on the TRA and the “six assurances.”
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force