WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of about $385 million in spare parts for F-16 jets and radars to Taiwan, the Pentagon said on Friday, a day before Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te began a critical program. Pacific Voyage.
The United States is bound by law to give Taiwan, which is called by China, a means of self-defense despite the lack of formal relations between Washington and Taipei, to the continued anger of Beijing.
Democratic Taiwan rejects China’s claims to sovereignty.
China has been increasing military pressure against Taiwan, including two rounds of military exercises this year, and security sources told Reuters that Beijing may hold more to coincide with Lai’s Pacific tour, which includes stops in Hawaii and Guam, a US territory. .
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale includes $320 million in spare parts and support for F-16 fighters as well as Active Electronically Scanned Array Radars and other related equipment.
The State Department also approved the potential sale to Taiwan of advanced mobile phone subscriber equipment and support for about $65 million, the Pentagon said. The prime contractor for the $65 million sale is General Dynamics (NYSE: ).
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said it expects the sale to “go live” within a month and that the equipment will help maintain the readiness of the F-16 fleet and “build a credible defense force”.
“Taiwan and the United States will continue to strengthen their security cooperation and work together to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said.
Last month, the United States announced a potential $2 billion arms sales package to Taiwan, including the first delivery to the island of an advanced air defense system tested in Ukraine.
Lai heads to Hawaii on Saturday where official stops en route are the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, three of the 12 countries that still have formal relations with Taipei. He will also stop over in Guam.
Hawaii and Guam are home to major US military bases.
China on Friday urged the United States to be “extremely cautious” in its relations with Taiwan.
The State Department said it saw no justification for what it called Lai’s secret, regular and illegal trip to be used as a pretext for provocation.
