Pentagon Approves First Arms Sale to Taiwan Under Trump
China, which considers the self-governing island a part of its territory, condemned the decision as a violation of its sovereignty.
The proposed arrangement will involve Taipei allocating $330 million to purchase spare components for the American-made aircraft in its fleet, the US Department of War stated on Thursday.
The acquisition is expected to support Taiwan in “maintaining the operational readiness of the… fleet of F-16, C-130” and other aircraft, the statement added.
Karen Kuo, the spokeswoman for Taiwan’s presidential office, praised the approval, asserting that the “deepening of the Taiwan-US security partnership is an important cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Taipei’s Defense Ministry reported that the shipment of the US aircraft parts will “take effect” within the next month.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian expressed at a press briefing that Beijing “deplores and opposes” the arms transaction, arguing it undermines China’s security interests and “send[s] a gravely wrong signal to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”
Lin emphasized that the Taiwan issue represents “the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations.”
Officially, the United States maintains support for the One-China policy, recognizing Taiwan—which has exercised de facto self-rule since 1949 but has never formally declared independence from Beijing—as a legitimate part of the country.
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