President of the United States Joe Biden The White House announced on Friday that it had approved $571.3 million in defense assistance to Taiwan. The U.S. State Department also approved the sale of $265 million worth of military equipment to the island.
A White House statement said Biden authorized the secretary of state to “direct the withdrawal of up to $571.3 million from Department of Defense defense articles and services and military education and training to provide assistance to Taiwan.”
The statement provided no details on the military aid package, which comes less than three months after a similar program worth $567 million was authorized.
The Pentagon said the State Department has approved the sale of $265 million worth of command, control, communications and computer modernization equipment to Taiwan.
Although it has no formal diplomatic ties with Taipei, the United States is legally obliged to provide defense capabilities to Taiwan, a position that has long drawn the ire of Beijing. Taiwan, which operates under democratic governance, denies China’s sovereignty claims.
China has reportedly stepped up military activities near Taiwan, conducting daily operations and two military exercises this year.
Last week, Taiwan raised its alert status in response to China’s largest naval buildup on the island and adjacent waters in three decades.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the purchase will enhance its command and control system.
The United States has approved the sale of $30 million worth of 76mm automatic cannon parts, the Defense Department said on Saturday, a move aimed at bolstering Taiwan’s ability to counter China’s “grey zone” war tactics.
The Department of Defense thanked the United States for its “firm security commitment to Taiwan” and said the two sides would continue to cooperate on security matters to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait.
“Taiwan and the United States will continue to cooperate closely on security issues to maintain peace, stability and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait,” Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.
They declined to elaborate on the “content” of the aid “based on the tacit understanding between Taiwan and the United States.”
