The U.S. announced Thursday that it would supply $440 million in ammunition and components to Taiwan, its latest step to strengthen the self-governing island’s defence as tensions with China rise.
The transaction is minor in scale and does not expand the range of U.S. armament available to Taiwan, but it comes as the U.S. and China work gingery to stabilize their tense relationship.
The State Department informed Congress that it would sell $332.2 million in 30mm ammunition and related equipment to Taiwan, as well as $108 million in spare and replacement components for wheeled vehicles and weaponry.
“The sales will assist Taiwan in maintaining a credible defensive capability but will not change the basic military balance in the region”, State Department continued.
“The sale will help improve the recipient’s security and contribute to the region’s political stability, military balance, and economic progress”, it added.
Congress has the authority to reject the sales but such a move is unlikely, with lawmakers preferring that the U.S. go further and directly send weapons to Taiwan rather than accepting its purchase requests.
In accordance with a decades-long policy, the U.S. send weaponry to Taiwan to secure its self-defense but only recognizes Beijing, which claims the self-governing democracy and has not ruled out forcefully capturing it.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken undertook a rare visit to Beijing earlier this month, during which his hosts guaranteed no compromise on Taiwan, though the two sides expressed hope for continued contact to keep tensions at bay.
In response to expressions of support from prominent U.S. politicians, Beijing has conducted military maneuvers in waters surrounding Taiwan twice in the past year.
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