US approves military aid Taiwan sovereign states

author: FutureCar Staff    

The US President Joe Biden's administration has approved a military transfer to Taiwan under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, which is typically used for sovereign states. A notification sent to Congress informs them of the State Department's intention to provide up to $80 million in FMF funds to support Taiwan. The purpose of these funds is to enhance Taiwan's self-defense capabilities, joint and combined defense capability, as well as maritime domain awareness and maritime security capability.

The Associated Press first reported the notification regarding Taiwan. Representative Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed his satisfaction with the administration's decision to provide FMF to Taiwan. He believes that these weapons will not only benefit Taiwan and protect other democracies in the region but also strengthen the US deterrence posture and ensure national security against an increasingly aggressive Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The FMF program, managed by the State Department, is the largest military assistance account. It provides grant assistance to foreign governments for the purchase of US defense equipment and military training through the Foreign Military Sales program. A State Department official confirmed the notification to Congress and clarified that this decision does not signify any change in US policy. However, the move is expected to provoke Beijing's anger.

China considers Taiwan as its breakaway province and strongly opposes any official exchanges between the US and Taiwan. In the past, China has complained to the US about military aid provided to Taiwan and has urged the US military to cease all forms of "military collusion" with the island. Despite these objections, the United States, being Taiwan's most significant arms supplier, recently announced a Taiwan weapons aid package worth up to $345 million.

FutureCar Staff