China insists US military assistance to Taiwan won’t impede its unification objective

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China reproached the United States for turning Taiwan into a “weapons storehouse,” following the announcement of a $345 million military aid package from the White House to Taipei. On Sunday, the autonomous island reported tracking six Chinese naval vessels in waters off its coast.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office expressed its strong opposition to the military support for Taiwan – a region China views as part of its own territory – through a statement released late Saturday.

Chen Binhua, the office’s spokesperson, stated, “Regardless of the amount of ordinary citizens’ tax money the Taiwanese separatist forces expend, or the number of U.S. weapons they acquire, it will not waver our determination to address the Taiwan issue or our steadfast commitment to achieve our motherland’s reunification.”

The statement further criticized, “Their maneuvers are transforming Taiwan into a ticking time bomb and an arsenal, escalating the risk of warfare in the Taiwan Strait.”

In recent years, the People’s Liberation Army of China has escalated its military activities aimed at Taiwan, deploying fighter jets and naval ships to surround the island.

On Sunday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense announced that it had tracked six Chinese naval vessels in proximity to the island.

The governing authority of Taiwan, under the leadership of the Democratic Progressive Party, has amplified its armaments acquisitions from the U.S. as a strategy to deter potential Chinese aggression.

China and Taiwan parted ways during the civil war in 1949, with Taiwan never being under the governance of China’s Communist Party.

Unlike earlier arms purchases, the latest provision of aid is part of a presidential authority approved by the U.S. Congress the previous year to draw weaponry from existing U.S. military inventories, ensuring Taiwan doesn’t have to await military production and sales.

Despite having procured weaponry worth $19 billion, a significant part of it is still undelivered to Taiwan. The U.S. is set to dispatch portable air defense systems, intelligence and surveillance resources, firearms, and missiles to Taiwan.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about US military aid to Taiwan

More about US military aid to Taiwan

• BBC: Taiwan-US relations
• The Guardian: China and Taiwan
• CNN: US – China relations
• Al Jazeera: Taiwan’s military