The US has announced a weapons aid package for Taiwan worth up to $345 million, a move that might upset China. The US Congress had allowed up to $1 billion in aid for Taiwan in the 2023 budget. China, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory, has frequently asked the US to stop selling weapons to Taiwan.
Reports suggested that the aid package might include four unarmed MQ-9A reconnaissance drones. However, this could change as officials work on removing certain advanced equipment from the drones. The formal announcement didn’t list the weapons being provided.
Taiwan’s defense ministry thanked the US but didn’t comment on the details of the package. A question raised was about who would pay for any changes to the drones. It’s not clear if the drones are still part of the package.
Taiwan had earlier agreed to buy four more advanced MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, due for delivery in 2025. Taiwan, which is a democracy, has rejected China’s sovereignty claims. Over the past three years, China has put more military pressure on Taiwan.
The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, previously mentioned that the US would provide more security help to Taiwan. This month, the top US general said that the US and its allies need to speed up weapons delivery to Taiwan to help it defend itself.
The post US Defies China with $345 Million Weapons Aid Package for Taiwan appeared first on NewsGPT | AI Generated News | Join the AI News Revolution.
