The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday.
The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release.
Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support,” the statement said.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
“The sale is consistent with US law and policy as expressed in Public Law 96-8,” the release said, referring to the Taiwan Relations Act.
The US Congress, which is expected to approve the sale, has already been notified, the agency said.
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked the US government for “upholding Taiwan’s safety in accordance to the Taiwan Relations Act and the ‘six assurances.’”
The Ministry of National Defense also expressed its gratitude for the approved purchase.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s normalization of gray zone intrusions are putting pressure on training space and reaction times in Taiwanese waters and airspace,” the defense ministry said in a statement.
The aviation-related goods and services “will help maintain the combat readiness and safety of various types of aircraft equipment of our air force,” it added.
It is the 16th time that US President Joe Biden’s administration has authorized the sale of military goods and services to Taiwan, the defense ministry said.
Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement that the sale reflects the importance placed by the Biden administration on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and the continued implementation of US security commitments to Taiwan.
The Presidential Office backed up the defense ministry’s comment by saying that the sale would help maintain the combat readiness of the air force to deal with “normalized gray zone intrusions” by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Meanwhile, a US Navy aircraft flew through the Taiwan Strait yesterday in what the US called a show of commitment to free and open international airspace, prompting China to scramble fighters.
“By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations,” the US 7th Fleet said of the P-8A Poseidon’s flight.
The Eastern Theater Command of the PLA said jets were scrambled to monitor and “alert” the US aircraft.
Last week, two German navy ships sailed through the Taiwan Strait in the first such transit in two decades in a show of Berlin’s resolve to stand with Western allies over Taiwan.
Additional reporting by Reuters
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
CHINA POLICY: At the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China, the two sides issued strong support for Taiwan and condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region. The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday. Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the
A clandestine US Navy special missions unit colloquially known as SEAL Team 6 has been training for missions to assist Taiwan’s defense against an attack by China, the Financial Times said in a report yesterday. The navy commando team famous for killing Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, has been conducting training to take part in a Taiwan conflict at its Dam Neck headquarters in Virginia Beach for more than one year, it said, citing sources familiar with the matter. “The secret training underlines the increased US focus on deterring China from attacking Taiwan, while stepping up preparations for such an event,”