He United States Department of State gave the green light this Thursday to the sale of spare parts, components, supplies and accessories of the F-16 fighter to Taiwan, with an estimated cost of 300 million dollars, as confirmed by official sources on the island. This transaction seeks to strengthen Taiwan’s defense amid the growing hostilities of the Chinese regime.
He Ministry of National Defense (MDN) of Taiwan explained in a statement that the purchase will include general parts of the F-16 worth 220 million dollars and specific components for another 80 million. This operation is expected to become official in approximately one month.
“The aviation supplies, spare parts and accessories that the United States agreed to sell on this occasion will help ensure that our Air Force combat team is adequately equipped to meet the needs of defense operations. and combat readiness training,” the MDN stated.
He Ministry of Foreign Affairs The islander, for his part, pointed out that this movement demonstrates that Washington’s “security commitment” to Taipei “is solid as a rock.”
“In the face of various threats from China, Taiwan has also demonstrated its determination to protect the country, continued to improve its self-defense and asymmetric combat capabilities, firmly defended its free and democratic way of life, vigorously achieved peace, and “deepened the close security partnership with the United States,” said the Foreign Ministry.
In Washington, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) assured in a statement that the sale of these supplies will improve the “security” of Taiwan and will favor the maintenance of “political stability, military balance and economic progress” in the region.
This sale of US military equipment to Taiwan, the 14th under the US president’s administration, Joe Bidenis the first to be announced after the inauguration of William Lai as the new president of the island.
The Lai Government, considered a “secessionist” and a “troublemaker” by the Beijing regime, was greeted with two days of military maneuvers by the Chinese Army around the island.
Taiwan – where the Chinese nationalist army withdrew after defeat at the hands of communist troops in the civil war (1927-1949) – has been governed autonomously since the end of the war, although China claims sovereignty over the island. which he considers a rebellious province for whose “reunification” he has not ruled out the use of force.
The Taiwanese issue is one of the main points of friction between Beijing and Washington, since the US is Taipei’s main arms supplier and could defend the island in the event of conflict.
The Chinese Defense Minister, Dong Junattacked the United States for its position on Taiwan, blaming its Executive for “emptying” Beijing’s one-China policy on the island and for “deceiving” a country in the Southern Sea.
In his first global security forum as head of Chinese diplomacy, Dong Jun criticized Washington for its efforts in favor of legal initiatives related to Taiwan, for continuing with the arms sales and for continuing to maintain “illegal” official contacts with Taipei.
“They are violating their commitment to China when they establish diplomatic relations”Dong said in reference to the US. “They continue to test China’s red lines,” she added.
(With information from EFE, AFP and Europa Press)
