The United States has announced a proposed 330-million-dollar weapons sale to Taiwan. It would be the first one since President Donald Trump took office in January.
The Defense Department said Thursday the sale includes parts for Taiwan’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets and C-130 military cargo planes, and also covers technical and logistics support.
The Pentagon also said the sale will improve Taiwan’s capability to meet current and future threats, without altering the basic military balance in the region.
Taiwan welcomed the announcement. It issued a statement saying the action firmly upholds US commitments to Taiwan’s security.
But China sharply reacted to the move. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said the “Taiwan question” is “the first red line” that cannot be crossed in China-US relations.
He added: “It seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security interests, and sent a wrong signal to the Taiwan independence separatist forces. China is strongly dissatisfied with this and firmly opposes it.”
