US approves $1 billion in new arms sales to Taiwan

The US State Department has given the greenlight to the sale of 135 precision land attack missiles to Taiwan. Photo / 123RF

The Trump administration has approved the sale of more than a billion dollars worth of advanced weaponry for Taiwan in a move that will enrage China and further exacerbate tensions between Washington and Beijing that are already heated over issues such as trade, Tibet, Hong Kong and the South China Sea.

The State Department announced

it had

given the greenlight to the sale of 135 precision land attack missiles, associated equipment and training to Taiwan to improve its defence capabilities. The package is worth just over a billion dollars, it said in a statement. The missiles are made by Boeing.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Photo / AP

"This proposed sale serves US national, economic and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernise its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability," it said in a statement.

"The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability" as well as military balance and economic progress in the region.

"The recipient will be able to employ a highly reliable and effective system to increase their warfighting effectiveness as needed, which can counter or deter aggressions by demonstrated precision against surface targets," it said.

Taiwan has been regularly detailing Chinese activities close to the island. On Wednesday, its Ministry of National Defence said a Y-8 aircraft had entered its airspace.

One PLA Y-8 ASW aircraft entered #Taiwan’s southwest ADIZ in the afternoon of Oct. 21, the flight path as illustrated. #ROCAF deployed patrolling aircraft and air defense missile systems to monitor the activity. No matter what happened, we will Keep #protectourcountry firmly. pic.twitter.com/fPvMX129lA

— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) October 21, 2020

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has reacted furiously to previous US arms sales to the island. The Trump administration has stepped up military and diplomatic support for Taiwan in recent months, including offering significant backing for its efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.