The United States has approved the possible sale of 619 million dollars worth of new weapons to Taiwan, including missiles for its F-16 fleet, as the island denounced a second day of large-scale incursions by Chinese aviation in its vicinity.
The arms sales are likely to aggravate further strained ties between Washington and Beijing, which has repeatedly demanded an end to such deals as unwarranted support for Taiwan, a democratically governed island China claims as its own territory.
The Pentagon reported Wednesday that the US State Department had approved the possible sale of weapons and equipment to Taiwan, including 200 advanced medium-range air-to-air anti-aircraft missiles (AMRAAM) and 100 AGM-88B HARM missiles that can destroy ground radar stations.
“The proposed sale will contribute to the recipient’s ability to ensure the defense of its airspace, regional security, and interoperability with the United States,” the statement said.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry stated that the missiles would help “effectively defend the airspace to deal with threats and provocations from the communist army” and bolster defense arsenals.
Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin are the main contractors for the missiles. China has sanctioned both US companies for selling arms to Taiwan.
During the past three years, Taiwan has voiced concern over China’s increased military presence near the island in an apparent effort to assert Beijing’s claims of sovereignty further.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry condemned what it called “a second day of large-scale raids” by Chinese air forces in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
Notwithstanding the outrage this produces in Taipei, China defends its actions in the area by saying it is protecting its territorial integrity and warning the US against “collusion” with Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said the plans, 17 J-10 fighters, and four J-16 fighters, had flown over the southwestern end of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, according to a map released by the ministry.
The J-10s, which began service two decades ago, went closer to the Chinese shore than to Taiwan’s, while the J-16s, which are newer and more advanced, sailed northeast of the islands. According to the map, Taiwan has authority over the island of Pratas.
Lightly defended Las Pratas is strategically located high in the South China Sea, and many of the overflights of China occur in its vicinity. Taiwanese forces monitored the situation, even sending their own plans, the ministry added, using the usual expression to respond to such Chinese incursions.
Though the Chinese air force has flown above the contested Taiwan Strait median line on a near-daily basis since it held war games near Taiwan in August, neither plane actually crossed it.
Last Friday, ten Chinese aircraft were reported to have crossed the median line, according to Taiwan.
The Chinese government has said nothing about the recent events close to Taiwan. To “resolutely resist the provocative actions of external forces and Taiwanese separatist forces,” China announced in January that it had undertaken military maneuvers around the island.
No shots have been fired, and the Chinese planes have only been seen in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), not its sovereign airspace. Since the ADIZ covers a broader area, Taiwan has more time to respond to potential threats.
Taiwan’s administration has frequently offered to hold discussions with China but has also stated that the island will defend itself if attacked and that only the Taiwanese people can choose the island’s future.
