Taiwan faces 'risk of delayed delivery' for US-made Stinger missiles

Taiwan's defense ministry says the delivery of US-made shoulder-fired Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to the island may be delayed due to limited US production and its high demand in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Chu Wen-wu, the deputy head of the military’s army planning department, at a press briefing admitted on Tuesday that the self-ruled island might not be able to take delivery this year of Stinger missiles on order from the United States.

"There may be a risk of delayed delivery of the portable Stinger missiles this year due to changes in the international situation," he said. "The Army will coordinate with the full procurement plan and continue to require the US military to implement it normally in accordance with the contract."

The United States approved the sale of 250 stinger missiles to Chinese Taipei under the administration of former US President Donald Trump in 2019. Taipei was expected to complete the delivery by 2026.

The short-range surface-to-air missile has been used by the US and 29 other countries over the past four decades. The US has so far shipped more than 1,400 Stingers to Ukraine in recent weeks.

US speeds up weapon delivery to Ukraine: Report

The United States and its allies are making efforts to streamline weapons and equipment to Ukraine to fight Russian forces in the eastern Donbass region.

Meanwhile, China has called on Western countries to refrain from sending offensive weapons to Ukraine. Beijing has warned that delivering weapons to Ukraine will only escalate tensions.

This is the second time this week that the self-ruled island has warned of delayed deliveries of US weapons. This came after the United States informed it that the delivery of an artillery system would be delayed due to a "crowded" production line.

Separately, Taipei's defense ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang also said deliveries of other US weapons to Chinese Taipei could also be affected. Taipei's air force is also in touch with the US to ensure that deliveries of new F-16 fighter jets take place on schedule before 2026, he said.

The first major arms sale to Taipei under US President Joe Biden was last August, which saw the approval of 40 Howitzer artillery systems.

US State Dept. approves potential sale of Howitzer systems to Chinese Taipei

The US State Department approves the potential sale of 40 Howitzer artillery systems to Chinese Taipei, which would be the first sale of arms to the self-governed Chinese island under US President Joe Biden and will likely inflame further tensions with Beijing.

Last year, the US also sold arms to Chinese Taipei that included drones and coastal missile defenses aimed at upgrading the island's capabilities against mainland China.

Chinese Taipei falls under China's sovereignty, and under the "One China" policy, almost all world countries — the US included — recognize that sovereignty. But, in violation of its own stated policy and in an attempt to irritate Beijing, Washington has recently ramped up diplomatic contact with the self-proclaimed government in Chinese Taipei. Washington is also the island's largest weapon supplier.

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