State Department Approves Record 8 Military Sales to Taiwan
The State Department this week approved eight possible military sales to Taiwan, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said. The sales are valued at more than $10 billion combined and include tactical mission network software, equipment and services; certain helicopter parts; M109A7 self-propelled Howitzers; rocket systems; missile systems; a Javelin missile system; harpoon missile repair and support; and "ALTIUS-700M and ALTIUS-600 Systems." The principal contractors haven't yet been chosen.
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Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council, said the sales were a "record amount notified at one time in U.S. security assistance for Taiwan," and he's expecting more to come.
"We now have clarity on some of the [Foreign Military Sales] bundled capabilities that will be included in the Taiwan special defense budget. This should help address opposition claims that there’s been a lack of transparency in this process," he said. "On the contrary, the leadership of all three major parties are being communicated with on the substance and application of these and the remaining FMS programs yet to be notified. This likely represents approximately 50% of the FMS programs bundled into the overall special budget, and we should expect more Taiwan arms sales in the coming months."
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson criticized the announcements, saying during a Dec. 18 press conference that the "massive" package of Taiwan sales "grossly violates the one-China principle," infringes on China's "sovereignty" and "sends a gravely wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it." The spokesperson added that the "Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests, and is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations."