22nd February, Dharamshala: On February 8, the United States approved a $100 million deal with Taiwan for the maintenance of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems built in the United States. The assistance arrangement is intended to assist Taiwan in maintaining its existing air-defense missiles as well as the improved Patriot missiles that Taiwan is getting from the United States. Taiwan’s military ministry thanked the US for approving the pact in a tweet.
Beijing considers Taiwan as a renegade province, has not ruled out using force to reunite the island with the mainland, and has increased fighter aircraft missions near Taiwan in recent months.
Chinese Defense Ministry Wu Qian stated at a press conference that the Chinese government has decided to take countermeasures in response to the actions of the American military-industrial companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies, which have been involved in supplying Taiwan with American weapons for a long time.
Wang went on to say that China wants the US to stop sending armaments to Taiwan and to adhere to all of the agreements reached between Beijing and Washington. China, he claims, would take all necessary steps to safeguard its security and sovereignty.
Earlier, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian warned that sending armaments to Taiwan is an obvious intervention in Chinese internal affairs, which Beijing strongly rejects, and that Washington should cut ties with Taiwan’s military forces.
Beijing is also pressing Washington to annul the arms-sale agreement with Taipei and break all connections with the Taiwanese military.
After the two held virtual security discussions centered on the Indo-Pacific area earlier this year, China chastised the US and its ally Japan for interfering in its domestic affairs.
China has been accused of “destabilizing operations” in the region by the US and Japanese foreign and defense ministers. They expressed their dissatisfaction with Beijing’s maritime claims and policies toward the Uyghur ethnic minority, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Leave a Reply