World News | US Approves USD 1 Billion in New Arms Sales to Taiwan
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The Trump administration has approved the sale of more than a billion dollars worth of advanced weaponry for Taiwan in a move that will enrage China and further exacerbate tensions between Washington and Beijing that have are already heated over issues such as trade, Tibet, Hong Kong and the South China Sea.
Washington, Oct 22 (AP) The Trump administration has approved the sale of more than a billion dollars worth of advanced weaponry for Taiwan in a move that will enrage China and further exacerbate tensions between Washington and Beijing that have are already heated over issues such as trade, Tibet, Hong Kong and the South China Sea.
The State Department announced Wednesday it had greenlighted the sale of 135 precision land attack missiles, associated equipment and training to Taiwan to improve its defense capabilities.
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The package is worth just over a billion dollars, it said in a statement. The missiles are made by Boeing.
"This proposed sale serves US national, economic and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability," it said in a statement.
"The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability" as well as military balance and economic progress in the region.
"The recipient will be able to employ a highly reliable and effective system to increase their warfighting effectiveness as needed, which can counter or deter aggressions by demonstrated precision against surface targets," it said.
China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has reacted furiously to previous US arms sales to the island. The Trump administration has stepped up military and diplomatic support for Taiwan in recent months, including offering significant backing for its efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)