2023-07-29 04:46:00
soldiers
Military exercises near New Taipei.
(Foto: Bloomberg)
Washington The US is providing US$345 million worth of military aid to the island’s democratic republic of Taiwan. The White House published a corresponding order by US President Joe Biden on Friday (local time), which also shows that military equipment will be withdrawn from US military stocks. In addition to weapons, the package should also include training materials.
In contrast to the military aid for Ukraine, the US government did not initially publish an overview of the planned deliveries. According to consistent media reports, the package will include portable anti-aircraft systems, so-called manpads, reconnaissance drones and ammunition.
China is firmly opposed to any form of official exchange between the US and Taiwan. The communist leadership in Beijing regards the independently governed Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic and threatens to conquer it. China is trying to isolate Taiwan internationally and strictly refuses official contacts from other countries with Taiwan.
Like most countries in the world, the US does not have an embassy in Taiwan. However, there are a number of informal contacts that anger Beijing. Even the military aid should not contribute to a relaxation of the relationship between China and the USA.
Parliamentarians in Washington had called on the US government to speed up arms deliveries to Taiwan. The aim must be to help the island republic to be able to defend itself against China and to deter Beijing from an attack, so the argument goes. Republican House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul welcomed the move Friday but said it should have come “much earlier.”
More: “I am ashamed that they captured me”: This is how Russian prisoners of war live in Ukraine
#millions #dollars #military #aid #Taiwan