The U.S. Department of State spokesman Price today kept a low profile, reiterating that the U.S. commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and retains the ability to resist any forceful action that endangers Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chiu Tien-lin was concerned in the Legislative Yuan’s Judiciary and Legal Affairs Committee on the 19th, whether there are still “Taiwan wants to buy, but has not been notified by the U.S. side can sell” arms sales to Taiwan. Li Shiqiang, director of strategic planning at the Ministry of National Defense, responded that the only remaining part of the AGM-158 is the Air Force’s long-range attack missile, which is still being pursued, and the communication channels between Taiwan and the United States are smooth and normal.
Asked whether the U.S. and Taiwan are negotiating a military sale of the Air Force AGM-158 long-range attack missile, and whether the U.S. side intends to sell it, State Department spokesman Ned Price kept a low profile at a media briefing today and would not talk much about it.
But Price reiterated that the U.S. commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid, which helps maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region. Under long-standing U.S. policy and as reflected in the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States retains the ability to resist any force or other coercive action that could endanger the security of the people of Taiwan or its social or economic system.
Price said the U.S. will continue to work with allied partners to support each other’s shared prosperity, security and values in the Indo-Pacific region, which also includes peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The AGM-158, developed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is a semi-concealed long-range air-to-ground missile with a range of 370 kilometers, weighing 1,021 kilograms and equipped with a 454-kilogram (1,000-pound) WDU-42/B armor-piercing warhead, which can significantly enhance the long-range ground attack capability of F-16Vs.
President Joe Biden has just completed three months in office and has yet to approve any arms sales to Taiwan. However, the media recently reported that the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) has informed Taiwan that the Biden administration will sell Taiwan’s M109A6 self-propelled gun for the first time.
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