The Chinese government protested Sunday the latest American announcements of military sales and assistance to Taiwan, warning the United States that it is “playing with fire.”
U.S. President Joe Biden authorized Saturday the provision of up to $571 million in Defense Department material and services and in military education and training for Taiwan. Separately, the Defense Department said Friday that $295 million in military sales had been approved.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement urged the U.S. to stop arming Taiwan and stop what it called “dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
Taiwan is a democratic island of 23 million people that the Chinese government claims as its territory and says must come under its control. U.S. military sales and assistance aim to help Taiwan defend itself and deter China from launching an attack.
The $571 million in military assistance comes on top of Biden's authorization of $567 million for the same purposes in late September. The military sales include $265 million for about 300 tactical radio systems and $30 million for 16 gun mounts.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry welcomed the approval of the two sales, saying in a social media post on X that it reaffirmed the U.S. government's “commitment to our defense.”
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41 Comments
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JJE
Taiwan province completely lacks UN-recognition.
Anyone with a history book and a map can establish it, like HK and Macau, are historically part Beijing's property portfolio.
Peter14
Taiwan has had UN recognition in the past when PRC had none. It made no difference then as it makes no difference now.
If China was not threatening Taiwan militarily, it would not need to continue buying more assets for its defense. The US ensures Taiwan can defend its people from a rampaging warmongering PRC China.
China claims it wants to unify with Taiwan but does nothing other than threaten it with destruction by encircling it with a huge military force. Sadly Chinese claims do not often match with its actions.
China knows how to bully as it does so daily with its own citizens. Thats not enough for Xi who turns to Taiwan to bully and harass millions more people.
TaiwanIsNotChina
China is playing with fire with its petulant exercises around Taiwan.
TaiwanIsNotChina
11 members is not completely lacking and more than russia's disgraces.
HK and Macau were never independent. Taiwan is.
JJE
Not independent. Dependent on the US as a vassal.
These arms sales are a classic indication of that.
Also important to observe that the reunification of HK/Macau was peaceful.
The same should happen here hopefully.
HopeSpringsEternal
Don't worry, just latest and far bigger version of little rocket man and that worked out well, until Biden Admin's globalists came along and destabilized the entire world with their Ukraine NATO proxy force.
Post posturing, Xi & Trump will surprise, acting together to de-escalate Ukraine and Mid-East. Why? Economics.
China's economy's terrible and Trump needs inflation to continue to drift downward. Economic normalization will be great for China's economy and confidence, and China (& BRICS) regaining their $dollar trust will strengthen $'s real asset purchasing power = disinflationary
Outside of sensitive national security areas, expect trade flows and FDI b/w China and US to accelerate. Other currencies real asset purchasing power, like Yen & Euro, will increase in line, and global economy to benefit due to downward pressure on rates due to lower inflation.
Japan's set to be huge beneficiary, as Yen's real asset purchasing power has dropped by some commodity indexes, about 5x in less than 5 years = PUNISHING, equals what used to cost 1 Yen now costs 5 Yen!!!
TaiwanIsNotChina
In no such way. Taiwan's purchases per capita are comperable to UN recognized Australia:
https://www.cfr.org/article/us-military-support-taiwan-five-charts
Because those were not independent territories and no one was able to fire a shot, unfortunately. Will not be the case with Taiwan.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Yes, XI is a bigger version of rocket man
Still Putin's War
Peking didn't do anything to de-escalate under Biden. Signs are not looking good for Trump.
s real asset purchasing power = disinflationary
This is a popular line with ChatGPT but every indication is that developing countries are buying more precious metals and that is it.
HopeSpringsEternal
Again, World not going to WWIII over Ukraine or Taiwan, as Xi & Trump have far bigger fish to fry, namely global stability to make economic normalization a reality. That means peace in Europe and MidEast.
Taiwan's dominance in semi's going to wind down MUCH sooner than most expect, and it'll be largely irrelevant as it continues to age and depopulate rapidly = China has time.
JJE
If people support Taiwan's US-protected 'independence', so should there be endorsement of another Autonomous Republic which broke away.
TaiwanIsNotChina
You yourself claim there will be far more stolen from Ukraine than Crimea. Also the US backing of the ROC is 100% legal, unlike russia's activities in Ukraine.
TaiwanIsNotChina
ChatGPT says that economics will prevail but the PRC building the world's largest navy and air force says something else.
Taiwan didn't lose its competitive advantage to the US. It is not going to lose it to China either. Also China will be too old to fight shortly.
Keepitreal
Screw china…
Fos
Keepitreal
I would have thought more commissions from US department when you use those colorful expressions :)
After inciting a dangerous war in Eastern Europe with the Nato enlargement (over $90 billions in arms supplies sent to Ukraine), and supporting Israel mass killings in Gaza and Lebanon ($20 billions in lethal weapons provided to IDF army in 2024), now the US lobbies in Wall Street are pushing the big military-industrial complex to move to Asia full strength, taking advantage of a missing president. Go figure!
quercetum
The reason Taiwan lost to the Communists is because of the U.S. If the U.S. had not backed the KMT, they would have easily defeated the CPC. The people just don’t want a puppet government and sided with the Chinese side, the CPC. They were the revolutionaries.
The Chinese are indeed admirable. Like the Americans, they’re not going to be some colony of England or an American colony like Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong before and the Philippines who don’t even have their own name for a country. It’s best to be your own country and not a US pawn.
Status quo wins. China would not give you all the pleasure.
Fos
HopeSpringsEternal
Look at the policies of the US administration in the Middle East, with the mass killings of 46.000 people, 70% children and women, that UN says, and the Pentagon keep sending weapons on a daily basis.
.The US lobbies in Wall Street are about greed and guns, come Trump in January with the stop of arms shipping in Ukraine, the big military industrial complex needs to branch out to another continent, that’s why we have the narrative in this forum of the ‘alleged threat’ of China. Same story as Colin Powell with the WMD
These are not assertions”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyyhvgZpleo
TaiwanIsNotChina
Still Putin's War
Rinky-dink arms sales are not a sign of a "move to Asia".
TaiwanIsNotChina
Apparently the people were perfectly happy with Soviet puppets.
Even though China is closer to the Philippines than the US economically, the countries you mentioned correctly realize they cannot fend off a 1.4 billion kg gorilla on their own.
So you keep saying. US missiles should provide the insurance.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Of no relevance to China whatsoever. Except maybe that their partner Iran is in trouble.
Nothing alleged about China drills, video of rammings, damaged ships, and injured coast guardsmen.
I know it is your bedtime and you have your bedtime stories queued up but we don't need to know about it.
Fos
quercetum
That is the right of every country in every continent, and then you wonder why US controls over 750 military bases around the world (again, supposedly China or Russia are a threat!). The reason we need to rectify these opinions in this forum is evidence on how the US State department is trying to manipulate the information. Greed&Guns
TaiwanIsNotChina
Including Ukraine not being a russian pawn. Thank you for this one salient point.
China threat is based on physical evidence.
quercetum
They are revolutionaries unlike American serfs who kowtow to the Neo-feudalism.
Fos
CPowell
The rule is: the more you make it up, the more commission you get. Talking about fishermen stories, we base our information on true history fact and former lies of US administrations
Just to stay in the area, the official reason why the Vietnam War started:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Tonkin_incident
TaiwanIsNotChina
Oh I see I see. The soviet direction came with a book of nonsense.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Of zero relevance to Taiwan in 2024. There is no disputing the video of China ramming boats.
TaiwanIsNotChina
I agree that China is getting upset of over Nothing. They should just accept internally that they will never control Taiwan.
HopeSpringsEternal
Think about it, Elon Musk, who has serious military contracts, has disdain for war and understands the risks of WWIII. That's GREAT news, nobody wants the global situation settled down more than Elon, who has very conflicted views about his growing $military role etc.
Reason Trump loves Musk, great values and why Taiwan is no danger, as these people are not war profiteers and globalists trying to control other countries. Xi knows it too!
itsonlyrocknroll
"May your holiday season and the New Year be filled with hope and happiness"
A deeply heartfelt message to President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping, from out going President Joe Biden.
Number 47 belated New year surprise gifts, tariffs, quotas, and belligerent best wishes.,
Some dude
China and Russia share so much DNA in terms of whining. "You do this, we'll...get really angry, yo!"
Look, China may have a large and powerful military, but the US military plays in a league of its own. China really does not want to get on the wrong side of that.
itsonlyrocknroll
Interesting, the logistics, how Santa will be loading 300 tactical radio systems and 16 gun mounts on the sleigh.
Santa's helper elf's will be on double time and bonus
al together now Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way!,
deanzaZZR
Not really. It's the daily foreign ministry briefing. All countries do it. JT posts stuff like this and you actually think this is newsworthy and felt the need to post about it.
Fos
As we all know diplomacy in Asia is totally kidnapped by the US military-industrial complex which incites geopolitical tensions through the constant hype of the "Russian menace" and the "China threat”.
Behind the growth of arms sales, the White House has created or intensified conflicts and crises in different regions of the world, forcing other countries to increase their budgets and buy US weapons to better serve the interests of the military.
Taiwan (Washington’s peer) spent more than Iran in 2023, a country considered "another threat" from the US administration - who in the meantime is supporting Tehran's neighbor, Israel, with tens of billions of dollars of weapons for the mass killings in Gaza and Lebanon.
Australia (another ally of the Pentagon), spent twice as much as Turkey in 2023, more than three times the population. All American made weapons.
Military expenses in 2023
Taiwan $16,6 billions (population 23,4 millions)
Iran $10,3 billions (population 91,5 millions)
Australia $32,2 billions (population 26,5 millions)
Turkey $15,8 billion (population 85,3 millions)
A reminder that the US stock markets (Wall Street, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 are on all time high) and, based on the SIPRI Top 100 index of arms-producing and military services companies in the world are in order:
Lockheed Martin Corp (USA)
Raytheon Technologies (USA)
Northrop Grumman Corp (USA)
Boeing (USA)
General Dynamics Corp (USA)
1glenn
I am curious whether the Chinese obsession with conquering Taiwan will end once the current dictator passes. One can hope. Taiwan is not a military or economic threat to China, unless having a free people so close is in itself considered a threat. More likely it is a matter of soothing Xi's ego. Dictators like to be seen as omnipotent conquerors.
lostrune2
Only if the Taiwanese people VOTE to be part of China
Now here's the question to ask: what has China done lately to EARN THAT VOTE?
Peter14
ROC Taiwan has existed since 1912 and didnt break away from anything, so its situation has nothing in common with regions encouraged by Russia to break away from Ukraine. PRC broke away from ROC. Some just dont understand history, or simply refuse to acknowledge it.
itsonlyrocknroll
The government of China, its dictatorship, its appalling record of human right, its despotism, its genocide of its own people.
The threats to peace loving neighbours, its insistence that the East and South China sea are the sole property of government of China, essential global; shipping routes, the fortification of Islands to enforce the government of China will on the whole region.
The refusal to any rules based trading law.
The Government of China has reaped the whirlwind, now could face the consequences.
Invade Taiwan and face the prospect of total antihalation.
itsonlyrocknroll
Annihilation..... ho hum
deanzaZZR
Are you suggesting the "Free World" should nuke China? Just checking to make sure.
WiseOneIn Kansai
Hypocrites!! The only country undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is China and you might as well add the South China Seas too.
Fos
WiseOneIn Kansai
Perhaps some people did not read the subject of this article, and concentrate too much on the commissions :)
"...the provision of up to $571 million of military equipment on top of $295 million in military sales which had been approved".
Question: who is providing military weapons?
United States of America
Who is not part of the Asian continent?
United States of America
Which country controls over 750 military bases over the world?
United States of America
Which country military expenses contributed 68% of Nato's total expenditure (USD 860 billion) in 2023, 3 times as much as China?
United States of America
Fos
The simple truth is that the United States is by any measure the most aggressive and violent country in the world and will not accept a multi-polar world where countries large and small can live in peace together.
The only military risk that we face from China is if we continue as a proxy for the US in its endless wars
Peter Neil
neither have ever been peaceful, except for short time outs between wars.
@fos: while you’re right in a cold hard look at history, truman’s decision to create the cia is the fundamental catalyst for the last 70 years. he regretted the decision later in life.
the american public has little idea how much the cia controls the vector of events and the perception of them. it has no boundaries, no controls, no oversight, no laws or ethics. it’s single purpose is to be ruthless in maintaining american dominance in financial and military power, influence and molding of public information.