US Approves Arms Sale to Taiwan, China Reacts with Fury
The United States has approved the first arms sale to Taiwan since the election of the president. China has reacted strongly. The U.S. administration of President Joe Biden has notified Congress of plans to sell Taiwan a $75 million (about 99.6 billion won) upgrade of its advanced tactical data system, Link-16, and related arms, Hong Kong's Mingbo reported on Wednesday. The White House will send 400 government officials and defense contractors to Taiwan for the upgrade. Link-16, which the United States sold to Taiwan, is a military data equipment developed by the United States and exported around the world. It is already an internationally standardized military communications system. "This upgrade and arms sale will enhance the Taiwanese military's communications security and ensure the secure transmission of tactical information," said the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), an agency under the U.S. Department of Defense. "A secure communications infrastructure will enhance the Taiwanese military's response capabilities." Earlier in the day, a U.S. House of Representatives congressional delegation proposed joint production of 155mm howitzers with Taiwan, Taiwan's China Daily reported. These shells are the mainstay of U.S. and European Union (EU) assistance to Ukraine. The U.S.-supplied shells are highly accurate and have a range of up to 70 kilometers, thanks to the use of digital fire control systems and GPS positioning systems. The U.S., which has supplied Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of these shells, has recently been experiencing stockpile shortages. The U.S. arms sale is the first since Taiwan's presidential election on Nov. 13. "This is the 13th time the Biden administration has sold arms to Taiwan," said Lin Yi-chan, a spokesperson for the Taiwanese presidential administration, "which shows the strong partnership between our two countries." China pushed back strongly. "The U.S. arms sales to Taiwan seriously harm China's sovereignty and security interests, China-U.S. relations, and the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ma Ning. "China will take resolute and strong measures to defend its national sovereignty and territory."
