White House Approves Potential $440M Arms Sales to Taiwan

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Facts

  • On Thursday, the Pentagon revealed that the US State Department had approved two potential deals with Taiwan, possibly selling up to $440M worth of ammunition and logistic support to the East Asian state.1
  • The first deal, valued at $332M, centers upon the sale of 30mm ammunition, while the second $108M transaction concerns spare and repair parts for vehicles and weapons to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office.2
  • The two deals mark the 10th arms-sales package to Taiwan by the Biden administration. The US' Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated that the sales served the country's national interests by modernizing Taiwan's armed forces and maintaining a credible defensive capability.3
  • Taiwan's defense ministry praised the plans for "enhancing" the state's "defense capacity" as well as "maintaining regional stability" politically, militarily, and economically.4
  • Proposed sales must be approved by Congress, however, with a decades-long policy of selling arms to Taiwan, it's unlikely to be rejected. Despite this, the US maintains its stance of only officially recognizing Beijing — which claims the island as its own territory.5
  • The news comes as Taipei claimed on Friday that it detected five Chinese warships and 24 Chinese warplanes around the island, 11 of which reportedly crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.6

Sources: 1Reuters, 2CNN, 3The Economic Times, 4Barrons, 5Zawya, and 6Al Arabiya English.

Narratives

  • Anti-China narrative, as provided by The Washington Post. It's right for the Pentagon to view a potential conflict with China over Taiwan as its top priority. Any conflict in the region would gravely weaken the US' position, while allowing China to take one step further towards global hegemony. Washington must ensure that Taiwan's defenses are maintained.
  • Pro-China narrative, as provided by China Daily. Under the pretense of providing protection, the US is turning Taiwan into an ammunition depot, threatening the one-China principle it claims to acknowledge. As Taiwan continues to spend taxpayers' money to satisfy the US, further danger and volatility will continue to grow in the region.

Predictions