US Approves Another Sale of Patriot Missiles to Taiwan... China Protests

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The United States has once again approved the sale of weapons, including the Patriot missile defense system, to Taiwan, prompting strong backlash from China. In particular, this sale is expected to include technical support, which is anticipated to provoke even stronger opposition from the Chinese government.

According to Taiwan's Liberty Times and Central News Agency on the 6th, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the U.S. government officially notified the approval of a weapons sale worth $95 million (approximately 115.7 billion KRW), including the Patriot missile defense system. Unlike previous sales, Taiwanese media reported that this deal includes dispatching specialized personnel to Taiwan to provide direct technical support.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Since the Biden administration took office in January last year, this is the third announcement of arms sales to Taiwan and the second this year," adding, "This is an implementation of security commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act and other agreements." The ministry further emphasized, "It shows that the U.S. government places great importance on Taiwan's defense needs."

The Chinese government protested, saying the U.S. is violating the 'One China' principle. Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing that day, "The U.S. arms sales to Taiwan violate the 'One China' principle and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiqu?s," adding, "We firmly oppose and strongly condemn this." He continued, "The U.S. must stop arms sales to Taiwan, and China will resolutely safeguard its national sovereignty and security interests."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.