US approves potential US$1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan amid cross-strait tensions

Announcement comes in wake of massive PLA military drills around island
Deal includes Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and Harpoon anti-ship missiles

United States

Robert Delaney

Published: 7:42am, 3 Sep 2022

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In a move likely to worsen tensions with Beijing, the US State Department has approved the sale of US$1.1 billion worth of military equipment to Taiwan, including advanced missiles and support for the island’s surveillance radar capabilities.

The sale, approved on Friday, includes about US$85.6 million worth of Sidewinder missiles, used for air-to-air and surface-attack strikes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles worth about US$355 million and support for Taiwan’s surveillance radar programme worth around US$665.4 million, according to the department.

Air force ground crew fit a Sidewinder air-to-air missile onto an F-5 fighter during a drill in Taitung, Taiwan, in January 2018. Photo: Reuters

United States’ arms sales to Taiwan are authorised by the 43-year-old Taiwan Relations Act, which outlines America’s willingness to defend Taiwan – often to the consternation of Beijing, which sees such transactions as a violation of commitments that the US made to establish formal diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China.

“Consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States makes available to Taiwan defence articles and services necessary to enable it to maintain a sufficient self-defence capability,” a State Department spokesman said.

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“The United States’ swift provision of Taiwan defensive weaponry and sustainment … is essential for Taiwan’s security and we will continue to work with industry to support that goal. These proposed sales are routine cases to support Taiwan’s continuing efforts to modernise its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability.”

Supersonic Sidewinder missiles are equipped with an infrared heat-seeking guidance system and allow pilots to aim at targets with their helmet displays. The Harpoon missiles are more resilient against electronic interference than their predecessors.

Confirmation of the arms sale comes amid what some analysts are calling the fourth Taiwan Strait crisis, sparked by a visit to Taipei last month by Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, and the unprecedented live-fire drills that the mainland Chinese military conducted around the self-ruled island in response.

Tensions have continued since the mainland’s People’s Liberation Army ended those drills, with Taiwan’s military this week firing shots to drive away a mainland Chinese drone for the first time after tracking many of the devices flying into its airspace.

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Beijing sees Taiwan as breakaway territory awaiting reunification under its one-China principle, and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it back into the fold. The US, while a strong supporter of Taiwan, does not – like most countries – recognise the island as an independent state. However, it is opposed to any attempt to take the island by force.

The sale can be finalised after approval by the foreign affairs committees in the US Senate and House of Representatives, a likely outcome given that both political parties in the US have become increasingly supportive of the Taiwanese government.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has hosted a number of delegations from the US since Pelosi’s trip.

Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican who sits on the Senate’s armed services committee, arrived in Taiwan last week, shortly after a visit by Indiana governor Eric Holcomb. A congressional delegation led by Senator Ed Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, arrived in Taipei on August 15.

As US President Joe Biden’s administration has done throughout the recent tensions around Taiwan, the State Department said that its approval of the weapon sales did not violate Washington’s one-China policy.

“For four decades, the US one-China policy has been guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances,” the department spokesman said. “We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan.”