We know that the US and Taiwan have been enjoying close ties with each other from a little while now and this is obviously to the displeasure of China who is watching the acts very closely because it could prove to be a challenge for them in its quest to include Taiwan in its territory, peacefully or otherwise. It is also worth noting that the US is also doing things that can be seen as triggers for China such as flying a jet over the Taiwan Strait or having meetings with Taiwanese officials. However, the latest report is one that would anger China for sure.
This is because Time reports that the US has approved sales of weapons worth $619 Million to Taiwan in a deal that could be seen as the country strengthening its weaponry if China were to attack them. Obviously, Taiwan has the rights to buy weapons from any country they want and also develop their own weapons. However, the fact that they bought weapons from the US which is the main enemy for China right now is definitely an interesting choice.
The US has released a statement with a positive affirmation of the deal saying that the deal includes missiles to be used with the F16 fighter jets as well as equipment to support the missile. It also includes AGM-88 anti-radiation missiles and air-to-air missiles as well as launchers. The icing on the cake is that the deal is between Taiwan, US and the companies such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Missiles. The interesting part here is that these companies were recently blacklisted by China.
Also worth noting is that the approval of sales is one thing and delivery of these weapons is another because it has been noticed that the delivery can take years. Taiwan has also registered disappointment with the delayed delivery time and again so it is not as if the weapons will be delivered instantly and will be ready in a few months from now. Due to the rising pressure from China, this deal can be crucial to adding more weapons to their armory.
