Biden approves additional weapons for Taiwan
Date
10/1/2024 4:35:44 AM
(MENAFN) U.S. President Joe Biden has approved a substantial military aid package for Taiwan valued at USD567 million, shortly after the arrival of U.S.-made Harpoon anti-ship missiles on the self-governing island. This decision underscores the U.S. commitment to supporting Taiwan amid escalating tensions in the region.
The new military support will cover various equipment, training, and educational programs provided by the Pentagon to Taipei, as outlined in a memorandum released by the White House. This comes on the heels of an earlier multibillion-dollar foreign security assistance package approved by the U.S. Congress in April, which primarily benefited Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan.
Recent reports confirm that the first shipment of hundreds of Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles, approved for sale by Washington in 2020, has arrived at Kaohsiung Port in Taiwan. The U.S. plans to deliver a total of up to 400 missiles, 100 launcher transport units, 25 radar trucks, and additional military equipment, constituting 100 sets of the RGM-84L-4 coastal defense variant of the missile system. These supplies will be delivered in two phases, with completion expected by 2026 and 2028. To accommodate the incoming American weapons, Taiwan’s military has announced plans to construct multiple new bases.
Beijing, which asserts sovereignty over Taiwan, views the provision of military supplies as a significant destabilizing factor in cross-strait relations. Taiwan, which served as the last bastion for nationalist forces during China's civil war in the 1940s, relies heavily on American security guarantees and assistance for its defense needs.
While the Chinese government has publicly expressed a desire for peaceful reunification with Taiwan, it has also warned that it would resort to force if Taipei were to make a formal declaration of independence. Some factions within Washington have been encouraging Taiwanese officials to consider such an escalation, prompting concerns from Beijing regarding potential shifts in the region’s balance of power.
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