CNN
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The Biden administration has permitted a possible $180 million arms sale to Taiwan amid ongoing tensions between the island and Beijing, the State Division introduced Wednesday.
The administration knowledgeable Congress Wednesday of its approval of the doable sale of vehicle-launched anti-tank munition-laying methods, and associated tools, to the Taipei Financial and Cultural Consultant Workplace – Taiwan’s diplomatic outpost in the US – the State Division mentioned.
“This proposed sale serves U.S. nationwide, financial, and safety pursuits by supporting the recipient’s persevering with efforts to modernize its armed forces and to keep up a reputable defensive functionality,” the assertion mentioned. “The proposed sale will assist enhance the safety of the recipient and help in sustaining political stability, army steadiness, and financial progress within the area.”
Washington has lengthy supplied arms to the island below the phrases of the Taiwan Relations Act, and there may be bipartisan assist for supplying Taiwan with weapons. Nevertheless, the transfer is prone to provoke anger from Beijing, which views Taiwan as a part of China.
In September, the administration permitted greater than $1.1 billion in arm gross sales to Taiwan, the biggest in President Joe Biden’s tenure, which included as much as 60 anti-ship missiles and as much as 100 air-to-air missiles.
That sale got here shortly after tensions between China and the US had been infected following Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in early August.
In August 2021, the administration put ahead a $750 weapons sale to Taiwan consisting of 40 M109A6 Medium Self-Propelled Howitzer Programs and associated tools.
Information of the newest approval comes after Biden signed into legislation final week a sweeping new protection invoice that included the institution of a protection modernization program for Taiwan to discourage Chinese language aggression.
