China on Thursday called on the United States to halt its planned weapons sales worth some U.S. 11.1 billion dollars to Taiwan.
Washington announced on Wednesday that it had approved the massive arms package to help boost the island’s defence capability, prompting a strong response from Beijing.
The planned arms sale violates the “One China” policy and undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
Beijing called on Washington to stop the arms deliveries and vowed countermeasures.
China considers the island state, which has been governed democratically for decades, to be part of its territory and seeks to bring Taiwan under its control, if necessary, by military means.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Presidential Office thanked the US for its support, saying it would continue to strengthen its own defence capabilities.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Defence Security Cooperation Agency said in eight separate statements detailing the sales that they “will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region.”
The package includes self-propelled Howitzers and related equipment for an estimated cost of 4.03 billion dollars, high-mobility artillery rocket systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of 4.05 billion dollars and tactical mission network software, equipment and services, and related equipment for an estimated cost of 1.01 billion dollars.
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DSCA said that the proposed sales “will improve the recipient’s ability to meet current and future threats by enhancing the self-defence of its forces.
The recipient will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and services into its armed forces.”
The U.S. agency also stressed that the sales “will not alter the basic military balance in the region.”
Taiwan in November announced a supplementary budget of 1.25 trillion New Taiwan dollars (U.S. 40 billion dollars) to cover the next eight years, in what President Lai Ching-te said was a move to underscore the island’s commitment to safeguarding its democracy.
The president added that Taiwan intends to use the funds planned for 2026-2033 to finance new weapons purchases from the United States and to strengthen its asymmetric defence capabilities. (dpa/NAN
