Joe Biden ready to defy Beijing with first arms sale to Taiwan

The deal with Taiwan, which includes 40 self-propelled howitzers, is a sign of continued US military support for the island.

Soldiers stand in formation in front of a US-made M110A2 self-propelled howitzer during Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's visit to a military base in Tainan last year. Picture: AFP

The Biden administration plans to make its first arms sale to Taiwan as tensions between the island and China grow.

The deal, which includes 40 self-propelled howitzers, is a sign of continued US military support for Taiwan.

China has sent warplanes into Taiwan’s airspace almost daily this year while warning the US to stay away. Beijing sees the self-governing island as part of its territory and has vowed to take it back, if necessary by force.

“The Taiwan question bears on China’s core interests,” Le Yucheng, a deputy foreign minister, told Associated Press. “There is simply no room for compromise. China firmly opposes any form of official engagement between the United States and Taiwan. Whether low-level or high-level, official engagement is what we firmly oppose. The United States should not play the ‘Taiwan card’. It is dangerous. The one-China principle is China’s red line. No one should try to cross it.”

US President Joe Biden. Picture: AFP

Asked whether China has a timetable to seize the island, which broke away from the mainland after the civil war in the 1940s, Le said: “National reunification of China is a historical process and the tide of history. It will not be stopped by anyone or any force.

“We will never let Taiwan go independent. We are firmly committed to safeguarding national sovereignty and security and promoting national reunification. We are prepared to do everything we can for peaceful reunification. That said, we don’t pledge to give up other options. No option is excluded.”

The US has a security pact with Taiwan to supply it with sufficient hardware and technology to deter any invasion from the mainland. The Trump administration approved 20 arms sales to Taiwan, including a $US8 billion package.

The discussions over the howitzer sale started when Trump was in office. The American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US embassy there, had told the Taiwanese government that the Pentagon would soon notify the US Congress of the planned sale, a Taiwanese news site reported yesterday (Monday).

The Taiwanese defence ministry said that the deal was not related to a recent visit by Christopher Dodd, a former US senator who is a friend of President Biden. It said that talks on the deal had taken place before his trip.

The Times