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Taiwan says new arms purchases to boost credible defense

The Associated Press

Taiwan said that recently proposed purchases of U.S. missiles and other arms systems will boost the island’s ability to defend itself amid rising threats from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The comments from Defense Ministry spokesperson Shih Shun-wen came a day after the PRC said it would exact unspecified retaliation against companies that make the weapons systems, including Lockheed Martin Corp., Raytheon Technologies Corp. and Boeing Co.’s defense division, the lead contractor on a U.S. $2.37 billion sale of Harpoon missile systems to Taiwan.

Facing a potential foe with more missiles, soldiers, ships and planes, Taiwan has sought to assure its citizens and its key ally, the United States, that it can and will defend itself. Taiwan split from mainland China during a civil war in 1949 and the PRC’s communist regime has threatened to bring the democratic island under its control by force if necessary.

“The purchase of these weapons will enhance Taiwan’s credible combat capabilities and asymmetric combat capabilities,” Shih told reporters October 27, 2020, using a term for countering a stronger foe with precision weapons and advanced tactics. “This will also enhance our overall combat capabilities to contribute to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Washington should “revoke the arms sale plan to Taiwan so as to avoid further damage to China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

The Harpoon missile system can target coastal defense sites, surface-to-air missile sites, aircraft, ships in port, and port and industrial facilities, according to Boeing. (Pictured: A Taiwan Navy frigate launches a Harpoon missile during military exercises in May 2007.)

The arms deal announcement followed another proposed sale announced October 21 of U.S. $1.8 billion worth of weaponry, including missile and rocket systems, and upgraded equipment for Taiwan’s F-16 jet fighters.

The U.S. has no formal relations with Taiwan, but federal law requires Washington to ensure the island can defend itself. In recent years, weapons sales to Taiwan have increased in quantity and quality, as the PRC continues its military buildup in support of its goal of annexation.

Stepped-up patrols by People’s Liberation Army Air Force warplanes this year have put Taiwan’s forces under greater strain, increasing the importance of developing new weapons systems or buying them from abroad.

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