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The US State Department has cleared the potential sale of four “weapons-ready” aerial drones to Taiwan.
Key points:
The $US600 million ($833 million) deal would be the first such sale since the Trump administration loosened US policy on the export of sophisticated and closely guarded drone technology.
The move is likely to infuriate China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has reacted angrily to previous announcements about weapons sales to the island.
The US State Department’s formal notification gives Congress 30 days to object to any sales, which is unlikely given broad bipartisan support for the defence of Taiwan.
“This proposed sale serves US national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient’s continuing efforts to modernise its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability,” it said.
“The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, economic and progress in the region.”
It said the sale would improve Taiwan’s defence by bolstering its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and could help deter military action against it.
The four MQ-9 SeaGuardian drones, made by Californian company General Atomic Aeronautical System, would come with associated ground stations, spares and training.
While the drones can be armed, they will be outfitted with surveillance equipment.
Just last week, the US Government approved plans for a $USD2.37 billion sale of Harpoon missile systems to Taiwan.
That came hours after Beijing announced sanctions on US defence contractors, including Boeing, the lead contractor on the Harpoon deal, over a previous weapons deal.
In response to the sales, China’s Ministry of National Defence said on October 27: “China strongly urges the US side to immediately withdraw plans of arms sales to Taiwan, cease US-Taiwan military contacts and stop selling weapons to the island.”
China’s ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan, which split with the mainland in 1949 during a civil war, as part of its territory and it has threatened to invade it.
Washington promised in the 1980s to reduce and eventually end weapons sales to Taiwan but insists its dispute with Beijing must be settled peacefully.
Chinese-US relations have plunged to their lowest level in decades amid disputes about security, technology, the coronavirus pandemic and human rights.
Taiwan has long been an irritant in relations. Washington has no formal relations with the island’s democratically elected Government but is its main ally.
US law requires the Government to ensure Taiwan can defend itself.
Weapons sales to the island have increased in quantity and quality.
Reuters/AP
