The package includes standard ($220 million) and non-standard ($80 million) spare and repair parts for F-16 fighter jets from the U.S. government.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced the latest arms sales to Taiwan on June 5, which are valued at a combined $300 million.
The U.S. State Department approved the arms sales under two foreign military sales agreements, the DSCA said in statements. The sales are in response to Taiwan’s request to buy standard (valued at $220 million) and nonstandard ($80 million) spare and repair parts, consumables, accessories, and technical and logistics support services for F-16 fighter jets from the U.S. government.
The approved sales will “improve [Taiwan’s] ability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of [Taiwan’s] fleet of F-16 aircraft,” the DSCA said.
The sales will also help improve the security of Taiwan and “assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region,” which “serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests,” the DSCA said.
The U.S. Air Force’s stock will be used for the sales to Taiwan, the agency said. The DSCA informed Congress of the arms sales package for Taiwan on June 5.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) thanked the United States in a statement on June 6 for continuing to fulfill its security commitments to Taiwan, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act by the U.S. Congress.
The MND said that the sales would help strengthen the combat capabilities of Taiwan’s air force. According to the ministry, they will be finalized in July.
“With normalized gray-zone harassments, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attempted to squeeze our naval and air training space and response time, as well as limiting our rights of self-defense,” the ministry said in the statement.
The MND also called on the CCP to cease “all irrational actions” against Taiwan, saying that maintaining stability in the Strait requires effort from both sides.
“Taiwan has also demonstrated its determination to protect the country, continuously improving its self-defense capabilities and asymmetric combat capabilities, firmly defending a free and democratic lifestyle, achieving peace through strength, and deepening the close security partnership between Taiwan and the United States,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on June 6.
China has repeatedly demanded that the United States not sell weapons to the self-ruled, democratic island nation over which the CCP claims sovereignty. The United States is the largest arms supplier to Taiwan and has committed to defending Taiwan’s independence.
The CCP’s Ministry of Defense responded later on June 7, saying that the United States should immediately cancel the arms sales to Taiwan and stop arming Taiwan in any way.Retired Maj. Gen. Yu Tsung-chi in Taiwan, an adviser to the Formosa Republican Association, told The Epoch Times on June 7 that directly providing Taiwan with F-16 fighter jet parts signifies that the United States has upgraded its arms sales to Taiwan to the level of a state-to-state relationship.
“In the past, the United States sold arms to Taiwan through a third party, but this time, it has directly supplied Taiwan. It means that the United States has made its strategy to China very clear, that is, the U.S. military is directly involved [in Taiwan’s security].”
“Through this move, the United States is sending a clear and strong signal to China, which is that if you attack Taiwan, you are declaring war on the United States,” Mr. Yu said.
Chung Chih-tung, assistant research fellow at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told The Epoch Times on June 7 that in addition to sending a warning signal to China, it’s important to strengthen the combat capabilities of Taiwan’s F16 fighter fleet.
“In reality, this can counter China’s intrusion of military aircraft against Taiwan to a considerable extent. If there is a real military conflict, the F-16 fighter fleet is currently Taiwan’s most important fleet, which will have a very important impact on countering China’s armed invasion of Taiwan,” he said.
Mr. Chung added that the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan also demonstrate the U.S. commitment to deterring China from altering the current situation in the Taiwan Strait.
“Therefore, the arms sales not only strengthen Taiwan’s military capabilities, but more importantly, they also demonstrate the basic attitude of the United States towards the Taiwan Strait issue and oppose China’s destruction of peace and stability [in the strait],” he said.
“So this is why the United States has insisted on arms sales to Taiwan since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, and China has always regarded it as a serious concern. Because this also means that the United States will play a very important role in the issue of [the] Taiwan Strait.”
Zhong Yuan and Luo Ya contributed to this report.