US: $10 B in Arms to Taiwan   12/18 06:04

   The Trump administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to 
Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion that includes medium-range missiles, 
howitzers and drones, drawing an angry response from China.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Trump administration has announced a massive package 
of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion that includes 
medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, drawing an angry response from 
China.

   The State Department announced the sales late Wednesday during a nationally 
televised address by President Donald Trump, who made scant mention of foreign 
policy issues and did not speak about China or Taiwan at all. U.S.-Chinese 
tensions have ebbed and flowed during Trump's second term, largely over trade 
and tariffs but also over China's increasing aggressiveness toward Taiwan, 
which Beijing has said must reunify with the mainland.

   If approved by Congress, it would be the largest-ever U.S. weapons package 
to Taiwan, exceeding the total amount of $8.4 billion in U.S. arms sales to 
Taiwan during the Biden administration.

   The eight arms sales agreements announced Wednesday cover 82 high-mobility 
artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS, and 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems, or 
ATACMS -- similar to what the U.S. had been providing Ukraine during the Biden 
administration to defend itself from Russia -- worth more than $4 billion. They 
also include 60 self-propelled howitzer systems and related equipment worth 
more than $4 billion and drones valued at more than $1 billion.

   Other sales in the package include military software valued at more than $1 
billion, Javelin and TOW missiles worth more than $700 million, helicopter 
spare parts worth $96 million and refurbishment kits for Harpoon missiles worth 
$91 million.

   The eight sales agreements amount to $11.15 billion, according to Taiwan's 
Defense Ministry.

   The State Department said the sales serve "U.S. national, economic, and 
security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to 
modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability."

   "The proposed sale(s) will help improve the security of the recipient and 
assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic 
progress in the region," the statements said.

   China's Foreign Ministry attacked the move, saying it would violate 
diplomatic agreements between China and the U.S.; gravely harm China's 
sovereignty, security and territorial integrity; and undermine regional 
stability.

   "The 'Taiwan independence' forces on the island seek independence through 
force and resist reunification through force, squandering the hard-earned money 
of the people to purchase weapons at the cost of turning Taiwan into a powder 
keg," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.

   "This cannot save the doomed fate of 'Taiwan independence' but will only 
accelerate the push of the Taiwan Strait toward a dangerous situation of 
military confrontation and war. The U.S. support for 'Taiwan Independence' 
through arms will only end up backfiring. Using Taiwan to contain China will 
not succeed," he added.

   Under federal law, the U.S. is obligated to assist Taiwan with its 
self-defense, a point that has become increasingly contentious with China, 
which has vowed to take Taiwan by force, if necessary.

   Taiwan's Defense Ministry in a statement Thursday expressed gratitude to the 
U.S. over the arms sale, which it said would help Taiwan maintain "sufficient 
self-defense capabilities" and bring strong deterrent capabilities. Taiwan's 
bolstering of its defense "is the foundation for maintaining regional peace and 
stability," the ministry said.

   Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung similarly thanked the U.S. for its 
"long-term support for regional security and Taiwan's self-defense 
capabilities," which he said are key for deterring a conflict in the Taiwan 
Strait, the body of water separating Taiwan from China's mainland.

   The arms sale comes as Taiwan's government has pledged to raise defense 
spending to 3.3% of the island's gross domestic product next year and to reach 
5% by 2030. The boost came after Trump and the Pentagon requested that Taiwan 
spend as much as 10% of its GDP on its defense, a percentage well above what 
the U.S. or any of its major allies spend on defense. The demand has faced 
pushback from Taiwan's opposition KMT party and some of its population.

   Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te last month announced a special $40 billion 
budget for arms purchases, including to build an air defense system with 
high-level detection and interception capabilities called Taiwan Dome. The 
budget will be allocated over eight years, from 2026 to 2033.

   The U.S. boost in military assistance to Taiwan was previewed in legislation 
adopted by Congress that Trump is expected to sign shortly.

   Last week, the Chinese embassy in Washington denounced the legislation, 
known as the National Defense Authorization Act, saying it unfairly targeted 
China as an aggressor. The U.S. Senate passed the bill Wednesday.