China fumes as White House announces record $10B in arms sales to Taiwan

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Washington — The Trump medication has announced a monolithic bundle of arms income to Taiwan valued astatine much than $10 cardinal that includes medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, drafting an aggravated effect from China.

The State Department announced the income precocious Wednesday during a nationally televised code by President Trump, who made scant notation of overseas argumentation issues and did not talk astir China oregon Taiwan astatine all.

The hostility betwixt the U.S. and China, the world's 2 largest azygous economies, has ebbed and flowed during Mr. Trump's 2nd term, mostly implicit commercialized and tariffs but besides implicit China's expanding aggressiveness toward Taiwan, which Beijing has vowed to reunify with the mainland. President Xi Jinping has not ruled retired the usage of unit to marque that a reality.

If approved by Congress, it would beryllium the largest-ever U.S. weapons bundle to Taiwan, exceeding the full magnitude of $8.4 cardinal successful U.S. arms income to Taiwan during the Biden administration.

The 8 arms income agreements announced Wednesday screen 82 high-mobility artillery rocket systems, oregon HIMARS, and 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems, oregon ATACMS — akin to what the U.S. had been providing Ukraine during the Biden medication to defend itself from Russia — worthy much than $4 billion. They besides see 60 self-propelled howitzer systems and related instrumentality worthy much than $4 cardinal and drones valued astatine much than $1 billion.

Himars rocket launchers placed connected subject vehicles and

Other income successful the bundle see subject bundle valued astatine much than $1 billion, Javelin and TOW missiles worthy much than $700 million, chopper spare parts worthy $96 cardinal and refurbishment kits for Harpoon missiles worthy $91 million.

The 8 income agreements magnitude to $11.15 billion, according to Taiwan's Defense Ministry.

The State Department said the income service "U.S. national, economic, and information interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernize its equipped forces and to maintain a credible antiaircraft capability."

"The projected sale(s) volition assistance amended the information of the recipient and assistance successful maintaining governmental stability, subject balance, and economical advancement successful the region," the statements said.

China blasts U.S.-Taiwan arms deals, says they "will lone extremity up backfiring"

China's Foreign Ministry attacked the move, saying it would interruption diplomatic agreements betwixt China and the U.S.; gravely harm China's sovereignty, information and territorial integrity; and undermine determination stability.

"The 'Taiwan independence' forces connected the land question independency done unit and defy reunification done force, squandering the hard-earned wealth of the radical to acquisition weapons astatine the outgo of turning Taiwan into a pulverization keg," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.

"This cannot prevention the doomed destiny of 'Taiwan independence' but volition lone accelerate the propulsion of the Taiwan Strait toward a unsafe concern of subject confrontation and war. The U.S. enactment for 'Taiwan Independence' done arms volition lone extremity up backfiring. Using Taiwan to incorporate China volition not succeed," Guo added.

The U.S. relation successful Taiwan's "self-defense capabilities"

Under national law, the U.S. is obligated to assistance Taiwan with its self-defense, a constituent that has go progressively contentious with China, which has vowed to instrumentality Taiwan by force, if necessary.

President Trump, successful an exclusive interrogation with 60 Minutes aired successful aboriginal November, said Chinese President Xi Jinping didn't bring up the contented of Taiwan erstwhile the 2 leaders met successful precocious October, but helium said Xi knew "the consequences" of taking subject enactment against the island.

"He ne'er brought it up. People were a small amazed astatine that," Mr. Trump said. "But they recognize what's gonna happen. He has openly said, and his radical person openly said astatine meetings, 'We would ne'er bash thing portion President Trump is president,' due to the fact that they cognize the consequences."

Asked by CBS News' Norah O'Donnell whether helium would bid U.S. forces to support Taiwan if Xi did determination militarily connected the island, Mr. Trump said, "I can't springiness distant my secrets."

Taiwan's Defense Ministry successful a connection Thursday expressed gratitude to the U.S. implicit the arms sale, which it said would assistance Taiwan support "sufficient self-defense capabilities" and bring beardown deterrent capabilities. Taiwan's bolstering of its defence "is the instauration for maintaining determination bid and stability," the ministry said.

China conducts subject drills astir Taiwan amid rising tensions 02:02

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung likewise thanked the U.S. for its "long-term enactment for determination information and Taiwan's self-defense capabilities," which helium said are cardinal for deterring a struggle successful the Taiwan Strait, the assemblage of h2o separating Taiwan from China's mainland.

The arms merchantability comes arsenic Taiwan's authorities has pledged to rise defence spending to 3.3% of the island's gross home merchandise adjacent twelvemonth and to scope 5% by 2030. The boost came aft Mr. Trump and the Pentagon requested that Taiwan walk arsenic overmuch arsenic 10% of its GDP connected its defense, a percent good supra what the U.S. oregon immoderate of its large allies walk connected defense. The request has faced pushback from Taiwan's absorption KMT enactment and immoderate of its population.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te past period announced a peculiar $40 cardinal fund for arms purchases, including to physique an aerial defence strategy with high-level detection and interception capabilities called Taiwan Dome. The fund volition beryllium allocated implicit 8 years, from 2026 to 2033.

The U.S. boost successful subject assistance to Taiwan was previewed successful authorities adopted by Congress that Mr. Trump is expected to motion shortly.

Last week, the Chinese embassy successful Washington denounced the legislation, known arsenic the National Defense Authorization Act, saying it unfairly targeted China arsenic an aggressor. The U.S. Senate passed the measure Wednesday.