The US State Department has approved a potential deal with Taiwan to sell ammunition for F-16 fighter jets. This was announced on Wednesday, March 1, by the Agency for Security Cooperation of the US Department of Defense.
It is noted that a possible delivery worth about $619 million was agreed upon. Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Missiles & Defense are proposed for the role of contractors.
According to Pentagon representatives, this decision fully meets the interests of Washington, since it is aimed at achieving political stability, military balance and the comprehensive development of the Indo-Pacific region. At the same time, support for the defense potential of Taiwan will not harm the combat readiness of the United States.
The US administration has already notified Congress of its decision. Now, within 30 days, lawmakers can discuss a potential deal and, if in doubt, block it.
Earlier, on February 23, former French MEP Florian Filippo wrote on Twitter that the increase in the US military contingent in Taiwan is a direct road to escalation with China and a new conflict that Washington intends to unleash according to the Ukrainian scenario.
At the same time, at the end of December, Politico noted that Washington was late in building up resources to protect Taiwan. The material says that the Chinese side has a large enough navy, as well as aircraft and ballistic missiles, to challenge US dominance.
The aggravation of relations between China, Taiwan and the United States occurred in August 2022 after an unauthorized visit by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi to the island. The politician called her trip evidence of Washington’s commitment to supporting Taiwanese democracy. Beijing urged to refrain from this step. Later, the Chinese authorities reported serious problems in relations with the United States.
Official relations between the Chinese government and its island province were interrupted in 1949, when the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek, who lost in a civil war with the Communist Party of the People’s Republic of China, moved to Taiwan. Contact between the island and mainland China resumed in the late 1980s.
