The United States has approved a possible$ 100m trade of outfit and services to Taiwan to “ sustain, maintain, and ameliorate” the Patriot bullet defense system used by the tone- ruled islet claimed by China, the Pentagon said.
A statement from the US defence security cooperation agency on Monday said it had delivered the needed instrument notifying Congress after state department blessing for the trade, which was requested by Taiwan’s de facto delegacy in Washington.
Upgrades to the Patriot air defence system would “ help ameliorate the security of the philanthropist and help in maintaining political stability, military balance, profitable and progress in the region”, DSCA said in a statement.
“ This proposed trade serves US public, profitable, and security interests by supporting the philanthropist’s continuing sweats to modernise its fortified forces and to maintain a believable protective capability,” the agency said.
The main contractors would be Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin, it said.
Taiwan’s defence ministry has said the decision to gain newer Patriot dumdums was made during a 2019 meeting with US officers in the administration of chairman Donald Trump.
The democratically governed islet has complained of repeated operations by China’s air force in its air defence zone, part of what Washington sees as Beijing’s trouble to press Taipei into accepting its sovereignty.
The United States, like utmost countries, doesn’t have sanctioned relations with Taiwan, but Washington is its biggest backer and is bound by law to give it with means to defend itself.
US officers have been pushing Taiwan to modernise its service so it can come a “ porcupine”, hard for China to attack, and similar arms deals always incense China.
China’s minister to the United States said last month that the two super powers could end up in a military conflict if Washington encourages Taiwan’s independence.
