Biden to Ask Congress to Approve $1.1 Billion Arms Sale for Taiwan

 

The planned sale comes amid soaring tensions sparked by Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan

by Dave DeCamp 

Posted onAugust 29, 2022CategoriesNewsTagsChina, Taiwan

The Biden administration is planning to ask Congress to approve a $1.1 billion arms sale for Taiwan that includes anti-ship missiles and anti-air missiles, Politico reported on Monday, citing sources with knowledge of the weapons package.

The arms package will include 60 Harpoon anti-ship missiles worth $355 million, 100 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles worth $85.6 million, and$655.4 million for a surveillance radar contract extension.

Once the Biden administration notifies Congress of its intent to make the sale, it starts a review period. Since there is massive bipartisan support for arming Taiwan, the deal will likely be easily approved.

The planned sale comes amid soaring tensions that were sparked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan at the beginning of August. China responded by launching its largest-ever military exercises around the island. More US delegations visited Taiwan throughout August, and the US sailed two warships through the Taiwan Strait over the weekend.

Since Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979, the US has continued to sell weapons to the island. But those arms sales have increased in recent years, and the US has taken other steps to boost ties with Taiwan as part of its strategy against China.

Last week, Taiwan’s cabinet unveiled a plan to boost military spending by 13.9%. The additional funds will go toward the procurement of new weapons and will pay for Taiwan’s military operations that are being done in response to China’s stepped-up presence around the island, a consequence of Pelosi’s visit.

https://news.antiwar.com/2022/08/29/biden-to-ask-congress-to-approve-1-1-billion-arms-sale-for-taiwan/