US President Joe Biden on Sunday approved US$567 million in defense assistance for Taiwan, the White House said, as China ramps up political and military pressure on the self-ruled island.
While the United States does not officially recognize Taiwan diplomatically, it is Taipei’s key partner and major provider of weapons — a point of consternation for Beijing, which has repeatedly called on Washington to stop arming the island, which it claims is part of its territory.
In a brief statement, the White House said Biden had delegated the secretary of state “to direct the drawdown of up to US$567 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan.”
It did not give details of the package, which is nearly twice the size of the US$345 million in defense support approved in July last year.
The United States in April this year approved billions in military aid for Taiwan in the face of an increasingly assertive China.
Beijing has regularly expressed anger at international support for Taipei and accused Washington of meddling in its affairs.
China maintains a near-daily presence of fighter jets, drones and warships around the island.
Beijing has said it will never renounce the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, and has also stepped up rhetoric about “unification” being “inevitable.”
Asked about the new defense assistance on Monday, China’s foreign ministry warned the US that arming Taiwan would “backfire.”
Spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing urged Washington to “stop arming Taiwan in any form.”
“The US’s insistence on supporting Taiwan independence with weapons will only backfire and lead to self-inflicted consequences,” Lin said.
