US approves US$345 million landmark military aid package for Taiwan
- The supplies of unspecified weapons will come from American stockpiles and be transferred under the presidential drawdown authority
- The authority has been used in the past to channel military aid to Ukraine
It is the first package of its kind since Washington switched official recognition to Beijing from Taipei in 1979 and follows repeated requests by Congress in the past few years.
“By the authority vested in me as president … I hereby delegate to the secretary of state the authority … to direct the drawdown of up to US$345 million in defence articles and services … and military education and training, to … Taiwan,” Joe Biden said on Friday.
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The authority allows the president to swiftly transfer articles and services from American stockpiles under the US Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
It is the first time it has been used to transfer weapons and military aid to Taiwan.
As a part of the 2023 budget, the US Congress authorised up to US$1 billion in military aid to Taiwan via the drawdown authority, a decision Beijing attacked at the time.