The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of spare parts for F-16 jets and radars to Taiwan for an estimated $385 million, the Pentagon said on Friday, a day before Taiwan President Lai Ching-te starts a sensitive Pacific trip.
The United States is bound by law to provide Chinese-claimed Taiwan with the means to defend itself despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Taipei, to the constant anger of Beijing.
Democratically governed Taiwan rejects China's claims of sovereignty.
China has been stepping up military pressure against Taiwan, including two rounds of war games this year, and security sources have told Reuters that Beijing may hold more to coincide with Lai's tour of the Pacific, which includes stopovers in Hawaii and Guam, a U.S. territory.
The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale consisted of $320 million in spare parts and support for F-16 fighters and Active Electronically Scanned Array Radars and related equipment.
The State Department also approved the potential sale to Taiwan of improved mobile subscriber equipment and support for an estimated $65 million, the Pentagon said. The principal contractor for the $65 million sale is General Dynamics.
Taiwan's defense ministry said it expected the sales to "take effect" within a month and that the equipment will help maintain the F-16 fleet's readiness and "build up a credible defense force".
"Taiwan and the United States will continue to strengthen their security partnership and work together to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region," it said in a statement.
Last month, the United States announced a potential $2 billion arms sale package to Taiwan, including the delivery for the first time to the island of an advanced air defense missile system battle tested in Ukraine.
Lai leaves for Hawaii on Saturday on what is officially a stopover on the way to Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, three of the 12 countries that still to have formal diplomatic ties with Taipei. He will also stop over in Guam.
Hawaii and Guam are home to major U.S. military bases.
China on Friday urged the United States to exercise "utmost caution" in its relations with Taiwan.
The State Department said it saw no justification for what it called a private, routine and unofficial transit by Lai to be used as a pretext for provocation.
© Thomson Reuters 2024.
50 Comments
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Peter14
Good. Spare parts are a necessity.
deanzaZZR
Cha-ching!
Toblerone
Beaucoup $$$ to be made.
Fos
Again, instead of dialogue and diplomacy the usual warmongering from a departing US administration
Pukey2
Who pays: tax-payers
Who gains: Military industrial complex (and certain politicians).
Who laughs: China (minus the Taiwanese tax-payers).
Examples of colonialism and the violence that came with it.
HopeSpringsEternal
Any conventional defense by Taiwan is hopeless in reality. If they're serious about deterrence than they'll need their own nukes. It's really the main Ukraine lesson.
TaiwanIsNotChina
A great move to support a free country against tyrannical neighbors.
TaiwanIsNotChina
There is no negotiating away the rights of 24 million people.
TaiwanIsNotChina
China laughs at weapons that will almost certainly be used against them in the event of war? An interesting theory.
So is 2/3 of what is now the PRC.
Fos
Less than two months before going back into anonymity, the likes of Blinken and Austin still find the time to talk to the big lobbies in Wall Street.
After the failed ceasefire in the Middle East (go figure) it’s time for them to secure their own future on the board of some powerful hedge fund. Sheer hypocrisy
TaiwanIsNotChina
Better jobs with the defense industry than jobs destroying the country like the incoming administration.
TaiwanIsNotChina
They will need the US to win the war for them. Fortunately the lack of a formal mutual defense treaty also means there is nothing certain incoming presidents can do to louse things up before the actual event.
Fighto!
Really good news.
I hope this infuriates and antagonizes Communist China and supporters.
HopeSpringsEternal
It's why superrich like Trump and his billionaire pals are more honest brokers, not so easily bought and paid for.
It's the core reason Trump was outspent about 3:1, big defense, pharma, Wall Street, tech, etc. all heavily backed continuing the Kamala gravy $train$
Ending wars, ending chronic disease, pro crypto....you get the $idea$, K-Street is VERY nervous now.
Blinken going to get indited ASAP for election interference, he'll need this lobbyist cash to pay all his lawyers for the Hunter laptop scam in 2020 and his 51 intel officials he recruited!
JJE
Lowbrow move and acid evidence certain quarters will arm a non-UN recognized province.
HopeSpringsEternal
Taiwan needs to cut a deal with Xi, clock is ticking, find a way to thread the needle, re-unification with some autonomy. No reason for it to be strictly zero sum, find a win: win, every serious negotiation has this potential!
Zaphod
TaiwanIsNotChina
A country that the US does not recognize as a country?? How about putting the horse in front of the cart instead of behind it?
deanzaZZR
From the president loved by Republicans and conservative USA Americans of every stripe.
https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/united-states-china-joint-communique-united-states-arms-sales-taiwan
Blinken/Biden will go down as one of the all time worst foreign policy teams in USA history and that is saying something.
Fos
Absolutely, I would add Lloyd Austin, but as you can see they already sent their chiefs in Asia to spread disinformation and these multimillion weapons deals will
serve their desperate need to keep working somewhere. What a desperate way to exit the diplomatic world, selling your soul to the random US lobby.
HopeSpringsEternal
Maybe people of Taiwan should just buy a nice Island in nearby Philippines and get PI Govt. to give them full autonomy, it's DOABLE!!!
No reason to remain in Xi's line of fire, get Xi to agree to this 'relocation' etc. Alternatively, what about just buying Kyushu and cutting a similar autonomy deal?!
It's no different than the contested areas of former Ukraine, the predominant Russian speakers remained, those favoring Ukraine largely left. Only no reason to have more terrible war, just figure it out!
Fighto!
You really think the Taiwanese people wish to exchange being a genuine liberal democracy for Communism? Where they go to jail for just typing the word democracy in an email - as happens to Hong Kongers?
Get real.
Lots of fans of communism here, as usual, projecting their wishes for communism to spread.
News flash : The people of Taiwan cherish their democracy and freedom.
HopeSpringsEternal
It's about allowing people of Taiwan to continue flourish, nobody in the west wants to see them be destroyed or consumed by communism. what are their practical alternatives to an unwinnable war with Xi?
isabelle
Taiwan has consistently offered dialog to the PRC to resolve their difference, but the PRC has refused unless Taiwan accepts that it's part of the PRC: a claim that is clearly nonsense.
As ever, the problem here is China.
That is because China has said it would invade if Taiwan declares "official" independence (despite it already being de facto independent). Absent that threat, Taiwan would update its constitution in a heartbeat, and be fully recognized as the country that it has long been.
As ever, the problem here is China.
WoodyLee
Beautiful Aircraft, always has been always will be.
isabelle
The PRC has never ruled Taiwan so it could not be a "re-unification" if the PRC were in charge. If the PRC took Taiwan without the consent of the Taiwanese people (which they will never give), that would be an illegal annexation.
Of course, if the two countries became one under the rule of the ROC (Taiwan), it would be a re-unification, as the ROC used to rule the mainland too. As Lai Ching-te has stated, the "motherland" of anyone on the mainland over 75 is likely the ROC, as it could not be the PRC.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/07/asia/taiwan-china-motherland-history-hnk-intl/index.html
“Therefore, in terms of age, it is absolutely impossible for the People’s Republic of China to become the motherland of the people of the Republic of China. On the contrary, the Republic of China may actually be the motherland of citizens of the People’s Republic of China who are over 75 years old.”
WoodyLee
What is Democracy??
Peace is far better than any democracy, what value does any democracy has when people are constantly living on edge not knowing if they will live to see another day or not.
WoodyLee
"" If the PRC took Taiwan without the consent of the Taiwanese people (which they will never give), that would be an illegal annexation. ""
Several nations did it and still does as we read this article, google it.
isabelle
"Peace" via submission to a brutal, totalitarian system like the CCP is better than any democracy? I highly doubt many would agree with you.
Such as the vast majority of Taiwanese who oppose rule by the CCP; the 2 million or so who marched for their rights in Hong Kong; Ukrainians fighting Putin's invading hordes; the entirety of Central and Eastern Europe during the fall of communism in the 80s/90s; those who fought against Naziism and Fascism; those currently protesting against authoritarian backsliding in places like Georgia, etc., etc., etc...
isabelle
No idea what this means.
quercetum
This is clearance sale. Get these bottom feeders to buy at a discount.
Dream on. There will be no war. Wars are for losers who can’t figure out how to solve problems patiently.
Fos
The US administration is so compassionate and generous with countries like Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan. All these billions of dollars of useful weapons, creating “deterrence”, no economic interest, they even give you ‘their’ history lessons
Some dude
It must be really irritating for the US right wing, having to wait another couple of months until they get their wish of the government turning its back on any and all allies with a raised middle finger.
Until then, the rest of us (in other countries) can enjoy a last glance at America doing the right thing. Won't see it again for at least four years, so enjoy the spectacle while it lasts.
HopeSpringsEternal
Biden Admin has singularly failed in terms of global security. The world has not been this destabilized since WWII is the broadly held consensus view.
Turning the page on the last 4 years of historical American led global failure can happen fast enough, world has had more than its fill of wars and inflation.
There's a REASON/see above, so much political re-alignment is taking place Globally!
Some dude
If you're going to try the "flooding the zone" trick, try and be more convincing. Does "Cuban missiles crisis" ring a bell?
Some dude
Make that "missile" singular.
Pukey2
taiwanchina:
So says the guy that comes from the US empire but pretends to be related to Taiwan in some weird way. It's none of America's business and yet you still have 800 military bases scattered all over the world, many of which are facing a 'menacing' China. And now it's threatening to drop a nuclear bomb on Russia, as if dropping two on Japan, and countless others over the heads of Pacific Islanders wasn't enough.
Abe234
HopeSpringsEternalToday 04:19 pm JST
To be honest, I kind of agree. I don't see the U.S. ever attacking China, Russia, North Korea, or any other nuclear power. However, we have clear evidence of countries that gave up their nukes, and they were attacked. E.G Libya and Ukraine. Bottom line is, a conventional force isn't going to deter a nuclear-armed China from Taking Taiwan, and there is no way the U.S. is going to see a carrier sunk in Taiwan straight and have two nuclear-armed countries go directly into conflice. And with the U.S playing with Ukraine, in not wanting to flood Ukraine with arms, but trickle enough in just to hold off the Russians, the writing is on the wall IF CHINA TAKES Taiwan. So, the only way I see this not going hot is to arm Taiwan with so much, that its not worth it. But historically, dictators, and autocracies don't have an electorate to answer to. and they understand that democracies leaders change. How long have Putin and Xi et al been in power compared to Western leaders? And depending on this deal with Ukraine, it will either give a green or red light to China. Ambiguity is just another word for appeasement.
bass4funk
Hardly.
TaiwanIsNotChina
So russia's arming and invading of Donbas and portions of Georgia is lowbrow. I am glad we are coming around.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Spoken by somebody whose country has no hope of ever being a democracy I guess.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Is this the native american theory of the apologist now? Just move along?
Apparently some in the East do.
Make it so costly that Xi doesn't dare touch that hot coal.
TokyoLiving
This is the same stupidity like the waste of money on kyiv regime..
Russian victory is INEVITABLE..
Reunification with Mother China is INEVITABLE..
Get used to it..
TaiwanIsNotChina
Scummy countries haven't rolled over all of the free people yet.
John-San
Taiwan will be looking at how the USA are helping the Occupiers defending against income Iranian built missiles. They might be having second thoughts now.
TaiwanIsNotChina
If Xi wants to petulantly destroy Taiwan, that is always on the table, and a surrender is only going to change it from a quick death to miserable one.
Five Families
U.S. approves potential $385 million arms sale to Taiwan.
Hey China. Flawless victory.
We make better wepons than you.
-General Dynamics.
For example. In close combat what Chinese soldiers would face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoBOuv6qJNU
HopeSpringsEternal
Again, military escalation ladder leads to nothing positive and short of nukes there is no real deterrence.
Only option is to cut a deal, maybe Kyushu is too big, why sell Shikoku to Taiwan, allow their citizens the option of moving etc. PI your next best island alternative.
Japan could sure use the talent and people of Taiwan, what a great fit. Some form of partial autonomy etc. Great catalyst for all, versus mindless war in Taiwan. Xi would end up the BIG loser as well!
Sven Asai
Nearly useless in a conflict case. The few jets are outnumbered anyway, can carry only limited load and are always on triple risk, when stationary in the base, during flight to attacks and while on return for refueling. Air refueling isn't practicable as Taïwan is very close. So that air arsenal is quickly shrinking to near zero in a very few days. And I think we don't need to discuss radar stations, as they are known, visible and stationary targets. Some enemy trainees can eliminate them in the first few minutes. No, with all that money they should have bought something useful and effective, with a more decisive or at least resisting potential.
TaiwanIsNotChina
You are right about that, which is all the more reason why the dictatorship fanboys shouldn't be losing their stuffing over it.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Deterrence absolutely is a positive and the US's F-35s and JASSM-ERs are a big deterrence.
ChatGPT really needs to stop pushing fantasy narratives.
I'm glad you acknowledge that Xi should not touch that hot coal.