The United States has approved the sale of $330 million in fighter jets and other aircraft parts to Taiwan, the first such deal since President Donald Trump took office in January, drawing gratitude from Taipei and anger from Beijing.
The Pentagon said in a statement that the proposed arms sale would help Taiwan maintain its F-16, C-130 and other aircraft fleets in operational readiness and enhance its ability to respond to current and future threats.
China has formal diplomatic relations with Washington, but Washington maintains informal contacts with Taiwan. The United States is Taiwan’s largest arms supplier. The United States also has a legal obligation to help Taiwan defend itself.
The Taiwanese presidential office said the arms sale, the first announced by the current Trump administration, was a continuation of Washington’s regular military assistance policy.
“We appreciate the US support for Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities and resilience,” said Karen Kuo, a spokeswoman for the presidential office.
“The deepening of the Taiwan-US security partnership is an important foundation for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” she said.
The sale is expected to take effect within a month, Taiwan’s defense ministry said.
The equipment will also help maintain air force readiness, strengthen air defenses and enhance China’s ability to counter infiltration in “gray zones,” the ministry said.
China’s military regularly conducts air and maritime exercises around Taiwan, which Taipei describes as a “gray zone” tactic—an attempt to increase pressure but not outright war.
As in the past, China has expressed anger at the US decision to sell the arms. “The Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests, and it is the first red line in China-US relations that cannot be crossed,” said Lin Jian, a spokesman for the country’s foreign ministry.
China claims democratically-run Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the possibility of using force to bring the island under its control. However, Taiwan’s elected government has said that only the people of Taiwan can determine the island’s future.
Trump claims that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him that he would not attack Taiwan while Trump is in power. However, neither Xi nor Beijing have made such a promise publicly; Reuters has not been able to independently verify the matter.
The announcement of the arms sale to Taiwan comes after Trump and Xi’s recent summit in South Korea. Before the meeting, there were concerns in Taipei that Trump might “give up” Taiwan’s interests in exchange for a trade deal.
