ANDThe US State Department gave the green light to the possible sale of a combat drone and loitering missile system to Taiwan for an estimated value of 360.2 million dollars, official sources on the island confirmed this Wednesday.
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In a statement, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MDN) noted that unmanned aerial vehicles “have become a new tactical option for actual combat,” adding that The acquired material will have “immediate recognition and attack capabilities” against enemy “threats.”
Taiwan and US security management team continue to work hard to improve the efficiency of arms sales operations between the two sides
“The security management team of Taiwan and the US continue to work hard to improve the efficiency of arms sales operations between the two sides. This time, the administrative review time has been significantly reduced. “The MDN expresses special gratitude to the US security cooperation team for their efforts in accelerating arms sales to Taiwan,” the official text stated.
For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan welcomed the approval of this arms sale and He valued the “commitment” of the United States to the “defense” of the island.
“We remain determined to defend peace through force in the midst of China’s escalating aggression,” said the island’s Foreign Ministry through its official X account.
In Washington, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) detailed that the Taiwan Representative Office in the US requested the purchase of 291 Altius 600M-V drones and 720 Switchblade 300 loitering missiles, as well as equipment related to these devices, for an amount of 300 and 60.2 million dollars (279 and 56 million euros), respectively.
The US Government has already provided Altius 600 and Switchblade 300 to the Ukrainian Army to contain the Russian invasion of its territory.
“The proposed sale serves the national, economic and security interests of the United States by supporting the recipient’s continued efforts to modernize its armed forces and maintain a credible defensive capability,” the DSCA said in a statement.
This sale of US military equipment to Taiwan, the 15th under the administration of US President Joe Biden, comes just two weeks after Washington approved Taipei’s possible acquisition of spare parts, components, supplies and accessories for the F-16 fighter for another $300 million.
F-16 fighter jet at Hualien Air Base, eastern Taiwan.
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Taiwan – where the Chinese nationalist army withdrew after defeat at the hands of communist troops in the civil war (1927-1949) – has been governed autonomously since the end of the war, although China claims sovereignty over the island, which he considers a rebellious province for whose “reunification” he has not ruled out the use of force.
The Taiwanese issue is one of the main points of friction between Beijing and Washington, since the US is Taipei’s main arms supplier and could defend the island in the event of conflict.
‘Achieving peace by preparing for war’
In this context, the president of Taiwan, William Lai (Lai Ching-te), insisted this Wednesday on the need to reinforce the island’s military capabilities to maintain peace with China, since war can only be avoided by “preparing” for it.
“Although Taiwanese people have always loved peace and been kind to others, peace must depend on strength and transparency, that is, avoiding war and achieving peace by preparing for war. Empty words are not true peace,” said the president in a press conference from the Presidential Palace in Taipei.
During his appearance before the media, Lai reiterated his “determination” to defend Taiwan in the face of constant threats from China, whose rulers consider the “annexation” of the island as a “national policy.”
“In addition to force, in recent years (China) has also used non-traditional coercive measures to subdue Taiwan, but we will not give up, “We will defend our national sovereignty and safeguard our democratic and constitutional way of life.”said Lai, branded a “secessionist” by the Chinese authorities.
Taiwan’s President William Lai speaks during his inaugural press conference inside the presidential office building in Taipei, Taiwan.
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