After World War II, war broke out in China between the government forces and the socialist communist forces. In the ensuing war, Communist forces led by Mao Zedong seized power in Beijing in 1949. After losing the war, the Nationalist government, known as the Kuomintang, fled to Taiwan and established a government there. In that way, Taiwan is ruled by people who broke away from China.
Western countries recognized Taiwan as a sovereign independent country. But as Taiwan is a part of China, China is engaged in aggression. In 2021, China tried to increase its pressure by sending military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense zone. Accordingly, in October 2021, China’s penetration peaked at 56 in a single day. In this situation, the United States announced that it would help Taiwan.
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi accordingly traveled to Taiwan, angering China. Relations between the US and China have further soured as China has said it will continue to provide arms aid to the US. As China seeks to assert its sovereignty claims, Taiwan has complained that Chinese military operations near Taiwan have been intensifying over the past three years.
Taiwan has seen large-scale Chinese air force incursions over its air defense identification zone over the past two days, with Taiwan’s defense ministry saying it spotted 21 aircraft in the past 24 hours.
China has said its actions in the region are justified as it seeks to protect its territorial integrity and warn the US against partnering with Taiwan.
Amid growing threats from China, the United States has approved the sale of $619 million worth of new modern weapons to Taiwan. The United States has approved the sale of $619 million in new weapons to Taiwan, including missiles for the F-16 fleet.
The US State Department has approved the sale of arms and equipment to Taiwan, including 200 Advanced Anti-Aircraft Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and 100 AGM-88B HARM missiles, the Pentagon said.
“The proposed sale will contribute to the recipient’s ability to protect its airspace, territorial security and interoperability with the United States,” the US said. And Taiwan’s defense ministry said the U.S. missiles would “help deal with the threats and provocations of the Communist military, effectively protect the airspace, and improve defense reserves.”