US government did not disclose which weapons will be delivered to the island; objective is to prevent China from occupying the territory
The United States announced on Friday (July 28, 2023) the sending of a package of weapons worth US$ 345 million to Taiwan. According to Reutersthe list includes 4 MQ-9A reconnaissance drones.
In a statement, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense thanked the US for its support and said it would not provide further details on the content of the arms package due to an informal agreement signed between the two parties.
Taiwan’s situation is one of the most delicate in China. The island has been governed independently since the end of a civil war in 1949. Beijing, however, does not consider Taiwan as a state, but as part of its territory, in the form of a breakaway province.
Chinese law allows China to defend itself against any threat to the country’s national integrity. In May 2022, US President Joe Biden said that the US will defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
In this year’s budget, the US Congress approved $1 billion in military aid for Taiwan. Furthermore, US law allows the country to send up to $10 billion in loans and grants to the island over the next 5 years to prevent China from occupying the territory.
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