TAIPEI, Taiwan—Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and two opposition parties agreed March 12 to authorize the government to sign agreements with the United States for four arms sales packages following cross-party talks.
The four packages to be signed for include M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, Lockheed Martin-made Javelin missiles, TOW anti-tank missiles, and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). Together, they make up the bulk of an $11.1 billion arms sale announced by the Trump administration in December.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s ruling DPP and the opposition are mired in a rare political crisis. The opposition, which consisted of the Kuomintang party (KMT) and its much smaller ally, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), has used its majority in the parliament to block or stymie key government proposals, including the budget….
Taiwan’s Political Parties Agree Government Can Sign Agreements on US Arms Sales
