Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen expressed satisfaction on Wednesday with the U.S. Congress’s approval of a comprehensive foreign aid package that includes $8 billion in military support for Taiwan. China, predictably, called on Washington to cease arms sales to Taipei but the aid package is now expected to go ahead giving the Taiwanese a measure of deterrence in the Taiwan Straits. The United States remains the most crucial international supporter and supplier of arms to Taiwan, despite the lack of official diplomatic relations. China, which considers Taiwan a part of its territory, has consistently demanded an end to these arms sales.
The Senate approved by 79 to 18 four bills passed by the House of Representatives on Saturday, after House Republican leaders abruptly switched course last week and allowed a vote on the $95 billion in mostly military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific.
Meeting visiting U.S. lawmakers at the presidential office in Taipei, Tsai noted the passage of the bills over the weekend.
“We are also very happy that the Senate has just passed these bills,” she said.
China says Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, is a purely internal matter and the most sensitive and important issue in relations with the United States.
In Beijing, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office expressed anger at the bills, which President Joe Biden said he would sign into law on Wednesday.
The bills “send the wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces, and we are resolutely opposed to it”, spokesperson Zhu Fenglian told reporters.
“We urge the United States to take concrete actions to fulfil its commitment not to support Taiwan independence and to stop arming Taiwan in any way,” she added.
For the past four years, Taiwan has reported increased military activities by China near its territory, with frequent operations involving Chinese aircraft and naval vessels. On Sunday, Taiwan’s defence ministry announced plans to discuss with the United States the best use of the newly approved funding. Since 2022, Taiwan has also voiced concerns over delayed deliveries of U.S. weapons, including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as American manufacturers have prioritised supplying Ukraine in its conflict against Russian forces.
With Inputs From Reuters
