US OKs New Arms Sales for Taiwan, Taiwanese President Visits Hawaii
The US approved new arms sales for Taiwan on Friday, a day before Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te arrived in Hawaii for a two-day visit as part of a tour of the region.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the Biden administration approved two potential arms deals for Taiwan. One is for spare parts and support for the island’s fleet of US-made F-16 fighter jets that’s worth $320 million.
The other sale is for supporting and maintaining a military communication system, known as the Improved Mobile Subscriber Equipment, and is worth $65 million.
The approval of the sales comes as China has been stepping up its warnings to the US that Taiwan is a major red line. In a statement on the new arms deals, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it sent the “wrong signal” to Taiwanese independence forces and vowed there would be a response.
