The U.S. State Department on Tuesday approved the sale of four drones and related equipment to Taiwan, marking the third time in two weeks that the U.S. government has notified Congress of an arms sale to the island. China’s Foreign Ministry responded on Wednesday (Nov. 4) that it would make justified and necessary responses based on the development of the situation. China’s Ministry of Defense demanded that the U.S. immediately cancel its arms sales to Taiwan.
The latest arms sales to Taiwan include four MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones built by General Atomics, two fixed ground control stations, two mobile ground control stations, 14 auxiliary navigation systems, multi-spectral targeting systems, radars and other related equipment, with an estimated value of about $600 million.
The U.S. Department of Defense said Tuesday that the State Department has formally notified Congress of the latest arms sale. This is the last step before the completion of the arms sale to Taiwan.
The Defense Security Agency said in a news release Tuesday that the arms sale benefits U.S. national, economic, and security interests and will “help improve the security of the recipient, and help maintain political stability, economic stability, and security in the region. It will also “help improve the recipient’s security and help maintain political stability, military balance, economy and progress in the region.”
China’s Foreign Ministry has expressed its firm opposition to the latest U.S. arms sale to Taiwan. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press conference Wednesday that it is a gross interference in China’s internal affairs, seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests, sends a wrong signal to the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, and seriously damages China-U.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
China urged the U.S. side to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three U.S.-China joint communiqués, stop selling arms to Taiwan and U.S.-Taiwan military ties, and immediately withdraw plans for arms sales to Taiwan, Wang said.
On Wednesday, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian expressed strong condemnation of the U.S. arms sale to Taiwan. He said at a press conference that China demands that the U.S. side fully recognize the serious danger of arms sales to Taiwan and immediately cancel any plans to sell arms to Taiwan. He also said that those who play with fire will burn themselves, and that “if anyone insists on doing so, we will certainly strike them head-on.
Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, made a similar response at the press conference. She said the U.S. arms sale to Taiwan will only bring serious harm to peace in the Taiwan Strait and send a wrong signal to the “Taiwan independence” forces; the DPP administration’s use of arms to seek independence will only push the Taiwan population into disaster.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that it has officially received notification from the U.S. government that it will sell four MQ-9B drones to Taiwan, worth a total of $600 million. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a news release on its official website that this is the 10th time during President Trump’s term and the third time in two weeks that the U.S. government has provided Taiwan with important defensive weapons, making Taiwan more capable and confident in safeguarding peace in the Taiwan Strait and regional stability, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes, and thanks the U.S. government for continuing to take concrete actions to implement the Taiwan Relations Act. “and the “Six Assurances” security commitment to Taiwan.
In addition to approving the sale of four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Taiwan, last Monday (October 26) the State Department approved the sale of up to 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems (HCDS) and related equipment, and on October 21, the State Department approved three military sales to Taiwan, including the Highly Mobile Rocket System (HIMARS) and related equipment, the Extended Range Missile (AGM84H), and the Extended Range Missile (ECM). and related equipment, as well as reconnaissance pods and related equipment for the F-16s.
Recently, U.S.-China relations have deteriorated sharply to their lowest point in decades, with clashes over security, technology, the Xinguan epidemic, human rights, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang. At the same time, Chinese military aircraft have increased their flights to Taiwan as a warning to the pro-independence Tsai Ing-wen government, but China’s frequent military actions have prompted both parties in the U.S. Congress to increase their support for Taiwan.
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