Taiwan may pay an ‘unthinkable’ price for accepting free US weapons, says former defence minister
- Feng Shih-kuan did not elaborate on his warning when asked if he meant war, saying only ‘I believe we would not be that stupid’
- Washington has said it will provide extra free weapons to the island under an emergency assistance programme also used to arm Ukraine
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“If you suddenly receive such free aid, you need to pay a certain unthinkable price,” Feng told reporters on Thursday when asked to comment on the plan.
Feng, who now heads Taiwan’s Veterans Affairs Council, declined to say what that price would be.
Asked if he meant war, Feng replied: “I believe we would not be that stupid, and that there should be some choices.” He did not elaborate further.
Beijing has warned the US and other countries not to provide military aid or have exchanges with Taiwan, something it views as a breach of its sovereignty.
The US, like most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but is opposed to any forcible change in the status quo and is legally bound to help it defend itself.
According to Republican Congresswoman Young Kim, the value of the items Taiwan is waiting for has now reached US$21 billion.
The US authorised the sale of 250 Stingers to Taiwan in 2019 but the shoulder-mounted missiles have been in demand in Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Austin told Congress the US would soon provide certain weapons to Taiwan for free under the same emergency aid programme being used to help Ukraine.
Congress has authorised up to US$1 billion worth of weapons aid for Taiwan in the 2023 budget.
The National Defence Authorisation Act also calls for increased military exchanges and aid for the island.
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“I’m pleased that the United States will soon provide significant additional security assistance to Taiwan through the presidential drawdown authority that Congress authorised last year,” Austin said.
He stressed this was part of a “long-standing commitment to upholding our obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act … and to doing our part to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”.
Austin said the US needed to remain a reliable partner and called on Congress to support President Joe Biden’s budget request.
Taiwan’s Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said last Monday that the US had been in talks with the island for several months over the type of free weapons that would be provided.
“These extra weapons will be given to us for free and will not be deducted from the purchase list which has been delayed by the US,” Chiu said, adding they would include missiles and some logistic services to help train soldiers in how to use the weapons.
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“These [extra] weapons will be items readily available in the US inventory,” Chiu said, adding that the timing of the delivery would be announced by the US.
A Taiwanese military source said the package of free weapons would include portable Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, TOW 2B Aero anti-tank missiles and new Javelin mid-range anti-armour missiles.
“Such weapons could enhance our asymmetric capabilities in dealing with the Communist forces,” the source said.
