U.S. State Dept approves potential $2.2 bil arms sale to Taiwan

Awesome!!

Unless / until the U.S. abandons Taiwan to the rapacious communists in the Mainland, the PRC will never be happy.

And given that they are determined to regain control over Taiwan no matter how long it takes and by any means possible, including through the use of force, Taiwan is entitled to defend itself.

Truthfully, the U.S. should have recognized Taiwan as an independent nation decades ago, which would have avoided this whole situation!!!

More warmongering by the US. What would be Washington's response if China soled 2.2bn worth of arms to Cuba?

Another example of the US trying to show that they rule the roost. Disarm Iran but arm Taiwan. More US military basis on China's door step.

@ rlperez@hotmail.com.au

What would be Washington's response if China soled 2.2bn worth of arms to Cuba?

Cuba doesn't have $2.2 billion to waste on weapons import.

If Cuba did have the money, there would be nothing the US can do to stop the trade.

Excellent news. The USA will help bolster freedom-loving nations in Asia, and Taiwan-USA-Japan will be an iron wall against Chinese Communism. Don't even think about messing with Taiwan, Communist China!

"We have repeatedly emphasized to the U.S. to fully understand the extremely sensitive and damaging nature of their decision to sell arms to Taiwan, and abide by the One China principle,"

Complete propaganda. No such thing as "one China". The US will hopefully recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, and a also support Uighhur, Tibet and Hong Kong. PRC will fall apart within 10 years .

Samit Basu: Seems like you have forgotten the Cuban missile crisis.

Have you heard of US sanctions and secondary sanctions? Have you heard of US embargos?

The US wasn't too happy when Russia wanted to establish a base in Cuba, or have you forgotten?

The sale of arms to Taiwan is no more that a backdoor ploy to establish a US base in Taiwan.

Ganbare Japan!: " The US will hopefully recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, and a also support Uighhur, Tibet and Hong Kong."

Will the US also support the Rohingya in Myanmar and the Palestinians in the Palestinian territories?

Neither would alter the "basic military balance in the region," according to DSCA.

The statement above is proof that this sale is just a big charade!

What American 'ally' and 'friend' ROC-TW truly needs is plain and simple respect in the form of solid diplomatic recognition.

An American Embassy in Taipei is what TW-ROC needs to make the communist PROC give parity to the democratic Island Republic.

Shame on America for stabbing the Taiwanese peps at the back!

Good.

There will always be territotial disputes when "history" is invoked. One can go back Centuries, even Milleniums to make a claim over territories. Most recently Israel and all of the countries in the Middle East. Chosun (N & S Korea) next door. And many more all over the world. But then, when humanity is concerned, we are now able to trace all back to Africa. Then the entire world is but one ownership by mankind with full recognition of all animals and all plants alike. In fact ownership is but a limited control over a small portion of the world. And everyone is fighting to keep it or take more.

Religious or other values or not, the point is "why are we unable to share it all together..?"

Then coming back to current reality, we all know that "occupation" is "control", and "control" is "a right", and "that right" is "ownership". Taiwan owns its territory. Others do not have rights to it.

China is doing the same to the islands in the S China Sea. They occupy them even if illegally and unwantedly and only "force" can remove them.

An American Embassy in Taipei is what TW-ROC needs to make the communist PROC give parity to the democratic Island Republic.

It's Taiwan's call not the US. Taiwan must first declare it is an independent nation apart from mainland China and ROC had firmly moved away from the One China policy through a referendum. Until then there will be no embassies made in Taiwan.

@rlperez@hotmail.com.auToday

Seems like you have forgotten the Cuban missile crisis.

During the Cuban missile crisis, Cuba didn't buy any missile, the Soviets simply put a nuclear missile site on Cuba with its own money as means to reach the Washington DC.

Letting somebody deploy weapon and buying weapon are two different things.

As of now, Cuba doesn't have the money to modernize its military which is frozen in time of the 1960s. The days of Soviets unloading tons of fighter jets and tanks for free are long gone.

Chip Star: "the big boy in the block"

The big boy in the block has turned out to be the bully in the block. the global dictator.

How many islands in the Pacific has the US annexed to establish military bases? Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, Porto Rica etc?

kazetsukai: Same as above.

This is really going to p##s China off, but what are the true motifs for the US military sale, installing personal to maintain equipment , another guise for another US involvement in an other country. "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_bases, " The US with no history what so ever , trying to meddle in a region that has thousands of years. In all my years on this wonderful planet I have never been able to understand the US's foreign policies or their objective. Each time there seems to be an expansion of US forces worldwide, the excuse has always been , for "national security", and how often do we see that phrase in the news lately, from Trump and his war hawks. America has always seemed a country obsessed with the dollar, its all about money.

Weird one for me. I support Taiwanese independence, but have an ideological problem with weapons sales.

Weird one for me. I support Taiwanese independence, but have an ideological problem with weapons sales.

The two can co-exist. Nothing wrong with weapons sales if they keep the peace and help Taiwan maintain autonomy.

What a big scam!

The USA was the mastermind and the first country to cut-off , ISIS-style the official diplomatic neck that once connected 'friend ' and 'ally' America and the ROC-TW in favor of Washington's silent partner---(Surprise!)--- communist and authoritarian Peoples Republic of China!

The USA then forced Japan to also abandon TW and give diplomatic recognition to Beijing exclusively to obey the American authored 'One China Policy ' .

Tokyo was saddened but had no choice then but to follow the American order pronto!

This Judas-like act by Uncle Sam totally weakened and devastated TW and strengthened China tremendously.

Now the USA is selling TW mere Abram Tanks and Stinger missiles but refused to even sell the upgraded 66 Kennedy era F-16V's!

That savvy fleecing is only adding more insult to the mortal injury inflicted by the USA to ROC-TW.

What the people of TW really needs is the re-establishment of da-kine formal diplomatic ties amongst the two democratic 'friends'and 'allies' .

No more , no less.

Washington must show the whole world that the USA is a genuine and loyal friend and ally of freedom loving Taipei for America to be great again!

God Bless America and democratic ROC-TW!

Hiro S NobumasaJuly 9  12:49 pm JST

Neither would alter the "basic military balance in the region," according to DSCA.

The statement above is proof that this sale is just a big charade!

What American 'ally' and 'friend' ROC-TW truly needs is plain and simple respect in the form of solid diplomatic recognition.

The United States supports Taiwan. But you are asking for Taiwan to be treated as an independent sovereign country. For that to happen Taiwan itself must declare it's own independence first.

The announcement is likely to anger Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory and has previously expressed "serious concerns" about the possible sale.

The ROC-TW is already an independent country.

They have their very own national flag, national currency , laws based on freedom and democracy and directly elects their very own president!

For those dudes who said that the ROC-TW is not an independent country that must declare independence first please try entering the democratic Island Republic without your passport or visas and see what happens,

The US is selling those Abrams and Stingers to TW precisely because they have their own ARMED FORCES .

The only countries that mutually insists that the ROC-TW is not an independent country are the authoritarian China and her silent partner good ole America .

So it's not a total mystery that some da-kine American dudes also echoes their government's official stance and declaration in connivance with their silent partner Beijing that TW-ROC is not an independent country.

Hence every sale of any arms to Tpe. by Washington must first go through Beijing for president Xi's approval.

My bad! Does this mean that the USA is already a province of China?

Therefore , America must declare independence from the PROC first before it can be great again!

To prove the USA's independence from China it must first re-establish full diplomatic ties to 'friend' and 'ally' TW rather than just sell Abrams and Stingers at such exorbitant price tags!

Hiro S NobumasaToday  09:35 am JST

The announcement is likely to anger Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory and has previously expressed "serious concerns" about the possible sale.

The ROC-TW is already an independent country.

Taiwan is already a defacto independent country. But if Taiwan really wants to be free of the Chinese threat, it needs to declare independence and seek recognition by the UN as a sovereign nation.

"We have repeatedly emphasized to the U.S. to fully understand the extremely sensitive and damaging nature of their decision to sell arms to Taiwan, and abide by the One China principle," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

ASEAN , the EU and the rest of the world now knows that America was the mastermind of the traitorous plot to diplomatically isolate independent ROC-TW when it choose to embrace the communist People's Republic of Renminbi instead of siding with democratic ally Tpe.

Therefore it was this very treacherous deed by America that created the very grave China threat to 'friend ' and 'ally' Tpe.

It means this China threat was 'Made in America, Made by America' so to prove to OZ, Japan, ASEAN and the EU that Washington is a reliable and loyal ally then it must undo its mistake by simply re-establishing full diplomatic recognition to 'friend' and 'ally' ROC-TW!

The USA needs to be good ole America again to be trusted and be great again.

Selling Abrams and Stingers is not enough.

It was America that broke diplomatic ties to ROC-TW and kicked it out of the UN therefore it is Washington's burden and duty to make ROC-TW diplomatically be recognized by the world again by simply re-establishing diplomatic ties to the democratic Island Republic.

Peps who are shifting the blame and burden to TW for America's sin and error are da-kine sounding like the official spokesperson of Beijing!

How can America be trusted and great again if Washington still needs Beijing's approval for any Abrams and Stingers fire sale to ROC-TW?

The whole world is watching!

Especially the UK's Ambassador to the US! Lol!

Hiro S Nobumasa: "How can America be trusted and great again if Washington"

The US is not, and has never been trustworthy and Is greatness is on the wane.

" if Washington still needs Beijing's approval for any Abrams and Stingers fire sale to ROC-TW?"

So why should Iran, NK or any nation need US approval to have a nuclear deterrent? This is no more that a ploy by the US to establish a military base in TW, on the doorstep to mainland China, and to show the world they can do what it likes. A bully must continue bullying and flexing his muscles to maintain his domination.

@riperez:

Communist China too is untrustworthy just like the USA.

If Beijing is better than America then President Xi should shock the world and give diplomatic recognition to ROC-TW!

My bad! President Xi Jin Ping will certainly win The Nobel Peace Prize ahead of President Trump!

That masterpiece gambit will make China great again and will make Washington look foolish with their Abrams and Stinger show.