Taipei, Taiwan
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The United States and Taiwan have announced an $11.1 billion arms package that, if completed, will be one of the largest military sales to Taiwan in Washington’s history.
According to details released by both governments, the deal includes eight separate purchases for parts for the HIMARS rocket system, anti-tank missiles, anti-armor missiles, loitering suicide drones, howitzers, military software and other equipment.
The Chinese Communist Party claims self-ruled democratic Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory, even though it has never ruled it.
After the agreement was announced, the Chinese government said it “firmly opposes and strongly condemns” the move.
“The United States’ attempt to use force to support Taiwan’s independence will only backfire, and the United States’ attempt to use Taiwan to contain China will never succeed,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jia-kun said at a regular press conference on Thursday.
Taiwan has stepped up its military purchases in recent years under increasing pressure from Beijing, with Chinese aircraft and ships present near the island on an almost daily basis and large-scale exercises regularly conducted in and around the island.
“The United States…will continue to support Taiwan by maintaining sufficient self-defense capabilities, rapidly building a strong deterrent force, and leveraging the advantages of asymmetric warfare, which are fundamental to maintaining regional peace and stability,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
The U.S. government maintains close unofficial ties with Taiwan and is required by law to sell weapons to the island for self-defense purposes. The total US arms deal is the largest for the island in years.
“Since 2010, the executive branch has notified Congress of approximately $49 billion in foreign military sales (FMS) to Taiwan,” a U.S. official said.
The U.S. sale announcement was made through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which manages U.S. foreign military sales. The deal still requires Congressional approval, but Taiwan has general bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said five of the eight items – HIMARS, missiles and drones – will be paid for as part of a historic $40 billion special defense budget proposed by President Lai Ching-de in late November, which has not yet been approved by Taiwan’s legislature.
The budget focuses on the procurement of precision artillery, long-range precision attack missiles, air defense, anti-ballistic and anti-armor missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and anti-drone systems, AI-enabled systems, and weapons jointly developed by the United States and Taiwan.
It is also considering strengthening Taiwan’s defense capabilities, particularly the T-Dome air defense system that Lai announced in October without providing details.
Raymond Green, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Washington’s de facto embassy in Taiwan, said recently that he expects Taiwan’s parliament to eventually approve increased military spending.
“All budget issues have to go through the legislative process, but I’m very confident that ultimately all political parties in Taiwan will come together to increase defense spending because I think there’s a common understanding of the need given the regional security environment and the threats that Taiwan faces,” Green said.
The $11.1 billion package is the second arms deal with Taiwan announced by the second Trump administration, following a $330 million agreement in November for aircraft spares and repair parts.
When the deal was announced, Taiwan presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said Taiwan would increase its defense spending to more than 3% of GDP next year and to 5% of GDP by 2030.
