New York [US], December 1: The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale
of spare parts for F-16 jets and radars to Taiwan for an estimated $385 million, the
Pentagon said, a day before Taiwan President Lai Ching-te starts a sensitive Pacific trip.
The United States is bound by law to provide Chinese-claimed Taiwan with the means to
defend itself despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Taipei,
to the constant anger of Beijing.
Democratically governed Taiwan rejects China's claims of sovereignty.
China has been stepping up military pressure against Taiwan, including two rounds of
war games this year, and security sources have told Reuters that Beijing may hold more
to coincide with Lai's tour of the Pacific, which includes stopovers in Hawaii and Guam,
a U.S. territory.
The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale consisted of $320
million in spare parts and support for F-16 fighters and Active Electronically Scanned
Array Radars and related equipment.
The State Department also approved the potential sale to Taiwan of improved mobile
subscriber equipment and support for an estimated $65 million, the Pentagon said. The
principal contractor for the $65 million sale is General Dynamics (GD.N), opens new
tab.
Taiwan's defense ministry said it expected the sales to "take effect" within a month and
that the equipment will help maintain the F-16 fleet's readiness and "build up a credible
defense force".
"Taiwan and the United States will continue to strengthen their security partnership and
work together to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific
region," it said in a statement.
Last month, the United States announced a potential $2 billion arms sale package to
Taiwan, including the delivery for the first time to the island of an advanced air defense
missile system battle tested in Ukraine.
Lai leaves for Hawaii on Saturday on what is officially a stopover on the way to Marshall
Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, three of the 12 countries that still to have formal diplomatic
ties with Taipei. He will also stop over in Guam.
Hawaii and Guam are home to major U.S. military bases.
China on Friday urged the United States to exercise "utmost caution" in its relations with
Taiwan.
The State Department said it saw no justification for what it called a private, routine and
unofficial transit by Lai to be used as a pretext for provocation.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation