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US to sell arms to Taiwan despite Chinese opposition US to sell arms to Taiwan despite Chinese opposition
(about 3 hours later)
The Obama Administration has announced a $1.83bn (£1.22bn) arms deal with Taiwan, in a deal that risks antagonising China. The Obama Administration has announced a $1.83bn (£1.22bn) arms sale to Taiwan in a deal that has antagonised China.
The deal - the first in four years - comes as US-China relations fray over China's construction of artificial islands in the South China sea. The US said the deal was consistent with its "long-standing policy on arms sales to Taiwan".
The sale has been cheered by Republicans who have called for such sales to be made more regular. But China has said it is strongly opposed to the sale, and has pledged to sanction the US firms involved in it.
The White House said there has been no change in the US's "one China policy". The deal, the first in four years, comes as US-China relations fray over China's construction of artificial islands in the South China sea.
China, which considers Taiwan a rogue territory within its land, warned against the proposed sale.
Foreign Minister Hong Lei said that China, "firmly opposes sales of weapons, military hardware or technology to Taiwan by any country in any form or under any pretext," according to the Agence France Presse news agency.
The White House has pushed back with an official saying: "Our longstanding policy on arms sales to Taiwan has been consistent across six different US administrations".
Two decommissioned US Navy frigates, anti-tank missiles, amphibious assault vehicles, as well as surface-to-air missiles and other equipment are all included in the deal.Two decommissioned US Navy frigates, anti-tank missiles, amphibious assault vehicles, as well as surface-to-air missiles and other equipment are all included in the deal.
There has been growing concern by Democrats and Republicans in Congress over Taiwan's ability to defend itself from China's growing military might. The deal will be approved in 30 days, unless Congress objects. But this is thought unlikely as there has been growing concern by Democrats and Republicans about Taiwan's ability to defend itself from China's growing military might.
In recent months, Sino-US relations have tensed over US concerns that China is building man-made islands in the South China Sea; the US believes that China is using the islands to expand its maritime territorial claims. State Department spokesman John Kirby said sale was consistent with the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which requires the US to provide Taiwan with sufficient weaponry to defend itself, even though the US does not recognise Taiwan as a state independent of China.
In October, the USS Lassen sailed in the Spratly archipelago as a challenge to China's claim over the islands. "There's no need for it to have any derogatory effect on our relationship with China," he told reporters. "We still want to work to establish a better, more transparent, more effective relationship with China in the region and we're going to continue to work at that."
While a State Department spokesman noted that the sale was in-line with the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. The act requires the US to provide Taiwan with sufficient weaponry to defend itself, even though the US does not recognize Taiwan as a state independent of China. But China summoned the US charge d'affaires in Beijing to protest against the sale.
Republicans welcomed the deal, with Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain saying "a more regularized process" for selling weapons to Taiwan was needed "in order to avoid extended periods in which a fear of upsetting the US-China relationship may harm Taiwan's defene capabilities". "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. China strongly opposes the US arms sale to Taiwan," Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.
China views Taiwan as a breakaway province which will one day be reunited with the mainland, but relations have warmed in recent weeks. Leaders from both countries met last month for the first time since the civil war in 1949.
Previous US sales to Taiwan have totalled over $12bn, according to the White House.Previous US sales to Taiwan have totalled over $12bn, according to the White House.
Relations between China and Taiwan have warmed in recent weeks, with leaders from both countries meeting last month for the first time since the civil war in 1949. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain called for "a more regularised process" for selling weapons to Taiwan, saying it was needed "in order to avoid extended periods in which a fear of upsetting the US-China relationship may harm Taiwan's defend capabilities".
The deal will be approved in 30 days, unless Congress objects. Tensions have risen between China and the US in recent months amid concerns from Washington that Beijing is building man-made islands in the South China Sea; the US believes that China is using the islands to expand its maritime territorial claims.
In October, the USS Lassen sailed in the Spratly archipelago as a challenge to China's claim over the islands.