CNN
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The US State Department said on Wednesday that the Biden administration has approved a possible $180 million arms sale to Taiwan amid ongoing tensions between the island and Beijing.
The administration notified Congress on Wednesday of its approval of the potential sale of vehicle-launched anti-tank munitions implantation systems and related equipment to the Office of the Economic and Cultural Representative in Taipei – Taiwan’s diplomatic center with the United States. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. .
“This offer of sale serves the national, economic, and security interests of the United States by supporting the recipient’s continued efforts to modernize its armed forces and maintain a reliable defense capability,” the statement said. The proposed sale will help improve the beneficiary’s security and maintain political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region. »
Washington The island has long been supplied with weapons under the Taiwan Relations Act, and there is bipartisan support for arms deliveries to Taiwan. However, the move risks angering Beijing, which regards Taiwan as part of China.
In September, the administration approved more than $1.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the largest under President Joe Biden, that included up to 60 anti-ship missiles and up to 100 air-to-air missiles.
The sale came shortly after tensions flared between China and the United States following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in early August.
In August 2021, the department launched a $750 arms deal in Taiwan including 40 M109A6 self-propelled howitzer systems and related equipment.
News of the latest approval comes after Biden signed a sweeping new defense law last week that included creating a defense modernization program for Taiwan to deter Chinese aggression.
