The impending sale, which is likely to further increase tensions between the United States and China, will include up to 60 anti-ship missiles, up to 100 air-to-air missiles, and a $655 million logistics plan for Taiwan’s surveillance radar program, the administration said.
“Consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States makes available to Taiwan defense articles and services necessary to enable it to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability,” a spokesperson for the State Department told CNN.
China warned the U.S. to revoke the sale Friday, claiming it would jeopardize their relationship.
“It sends wrong signals to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and severely jeopardizes China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said, according to AFP. “China will resolutely take legitimate and necessary counter-measures in light of the development of the situation.”
Tensions between Beijing and the U.S. increased last month after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) visited Taiwan.
Since Pelosi’s visit, there have been at least two other congressional visits and several visits by U.S. governors, including Gov. Eric Holcomb (R-IN). All visits were condemned by China.
Authored by Misty Severi via Washington Examiner
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