US approves $385 million in weapons sales to Taiwan

The United States has agreed with the sales of US-made weapons to Taiwan despite Beijing’s opposition to Washington’s continued militarization of the island.

The Pentagon said the US State Department had approved the potential sale of spare parts for F-16 jets and radars to Chinese Taipei for an estimated $385 million.

The sale consists of $320 million in spare parts and support for the American Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters and Active Electronically Scanned Array Radars and related equipment, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.

The Pentagon said another $65 million will be for upgraded mobile subscriber equipment and support.

It added that the principal contractor for the $65 million sale is US-based arms manufacturer General Dynamics.

“We expect the sales to take effect within a month and that the equipment will help maintain the F-16 fleet’s readiness and build up a credible defense force,” Taiwan’s defense ministry said in a statement.

China slams latest US arms sales to Taiwan, vows ‘countermeasures’

China has vowed “countermeasures” against the latest $2 billion US arms sale to Taiwan.

Last month, China condemned the US’s planned weapons sales to Chinese Taipei.

Beijing vowed to take countermeasures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against Western aggression.

China sees Taiwan as an inseparable part of the country, frowning upon any arms sales arms to the island.

It has held two rounds of military drills this year. A third exercise is expected to be held during Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s Pacific tour this week.

Lai leaves for Hawaii on Saturday on what is officially a stopover on the way to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau. He will also stop over in Guam. Both Hawaii and Guam belong to the US and feature major military bases.

The internationally accepted “One China” principle opposes any officials’ foreign interactions or diplomatic visits by Taipei officials to world countries, particularly the United States.

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