The Chinese regime this Sunday criticized the latest US announcements of sales and military assistance to Taiwan, and warned the United States that it is “playing with fire.”
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, authorized the provision of up to $571 million in materials and services of the Department of Defense and in military education and training for Taiwan. Separately, the Defense Department said Friday that Approved $295 million in military sales.
A statement from China’s Foreign Ministry urged the United States to stop arming Taiwan and stop what it called “dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”.
Taiwan is a democratic island of 23 million people that the Chinese government claims as its territory and says it should come under its control. US military sales and assistance aim to help Taiwan defend itself and deter China from launching an attack.
The $571 million in military assistance comes on top of Biden’s authorization of $567 million for the same purposes in late September. Military sales include $265 million for about 300 tactical radio systems and $30 million for 16 gun mounts.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the approval of the two sales, saying in a social media post on X that it reaffirmed the US government’s “commitment to our defense.”
Last Sunday, Taiwan received a shipment of 38 M1A2T tanks coming from USAthe first delivery of this type of armored vehicles in more than 30 years. According to the state agency CNA, the vehicles arrived at the port of Taipei and were transferred to the Army training center in County Hsinchu.
This delivery is part of an agreement reached in July 2019 during the administration of Donald Trumpwhich approved the sale of 108 M1A2T tanks for a value of 2 billion dollarsone of the largest arms transactions between both countries.
He Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed that deliveries will continue in the coming years, with an additional 42 tanks planned for 2025 and another 28 in 2026, allocated to the Sixth Army Commandin charge of the defense of the north of the island.
He M1A2Ta variant of the M1 Abrams used by the US Army, is designed with a 120-millimeter cannon capable of penetrating armor up to 850 millimeters.
Its advanced defensive capacity makes it a strategic element for Taiwan in the event of a possible conflict with China, which maintains growing military and political pressure on the island.
This shipment also seeks to reduce delays in the supply of weapons to Taiwan, affected by bureaucratic obstacles and high demand in the United States defense industry after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to the Cato Institutethe value of the weapons pending delivery to Taiwan amounts to $21.95 billionincluding advanced systems such as 66 F-16V fighters y 100 Harpoon missiles. This first batch of tanks marks progress in modernizing the island’s defensive capabilities in an increasingly challenging geopolitical environment.
(With information from AP, EFE and AFP)
