US State Department Approves $1.5 Trillion Arms Sale to Taiwan

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is walking with Tsai Chi-chang, Vice President of the Legislative Yuan, during her visit to the Taipei Legislature in Taiwan last month.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The United States has decided to export weapons worth $1.1 billion (approximately 1.496 trillion KRW) to Taiwan. China has expressed strong opposition.

According to reports from major foreign media on the 3rd, the U.S. Department of State approved a plan to export missiles and radar equipment to Taiwan. The sales list includes 60 anti-ship missiles worth $355 million and 100 air-to-air missiles valued at $85.6 million. The plan also includes extending a contract related to surveillance radar equipment worth $655.4 million.

Laura Rosenberger, Senior Director for China at the White House National Security Council (NSC), stated in a press release, as reported by the Associated Press, "As the Chinese People's Liberation Army strengthens air and naval deployments around Taiwan and attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, we are providing Taiwan with what it needs to maintain its self-defense capabilities."

However, U.S. officials emphasized that this matter does not reflect a change in policy toward Taiwan, describing it as a routine arms sale. Despite this explanation, China protested. The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. issued a statement saying, "This sends the wrong signal to 'Taiwan independence' separatists and severely endangers peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as well as China-U.S. relations," demanding that "the arms export be canceled immediately."

The Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the move in a statement, saying, "Recent provocative actions by China have caused serious threats," and expressed hope that "we can jointly protect security and peace in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region."

For the arms sale to actually proceed, it must undergo review by the U.S. Congress. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Defense has formed a task force to streamline the process of exporting weapons to allies and partner countries, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal on the same day. This reflects the judgment that providing military equipment faster than China or Russia is necessary to strengthen influence in the international community.

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