What’s happening –
US $1.1 billion arms deal with Taiwan and the sending of warships by Germany has angered China and increases the tensions. The Biden administration has announced a $1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan as US-China tensions escalate over its status. The sale included $355 million for Harpoon air-to-sea missiles and $85 million for Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, the state department said. The largest portion of the sale is a $655 million logistics support package to for Taiwan’s surveillance radar programme which provide Air defense warnings.
Why it’s important for US to send arms to Taiwan?
• Early warning air defence systems have become more important as China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, which it regards as a renegade province. The state department said that the equipment was necessary for Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self defence capability.
•US administration said the deals complied with the US One -China policy . It also urged Beijing to cease it’s military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan and engage in meaningful dialogue.
• Laura Rosenberg, the White House’s senior director for China- Taiwan, said that as China continues to increase pressure on Taiwan- including through heightened military aire and maritime presence around Taiwan and hence, they are providing Taiwan with what it needs to maintain its self-defence capabilities.
• Since Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan there have been at least two other congressional visits and several by governors of US states, all of which China has condemned. The US described Chinese drills in August as a severe overreaction.
Drone Shot Down
On Thursday, Taiwan’s military said it shot down a drone hovering over one of its island outputs just off the Chinese coast in an incident that underscored the heightened tensions. A day earlier, Taiwan said that it had warned off drones hovering over three of the islands it occupies off the coast of the Chinese port city of Xiamen.
China’s Warning to US
China has warned the United States, it will take counter measures after the Biden administration approved more than $1.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan. Chinese Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said on Saturday ” China was firmly opposed to the sales, which severely jeopardize China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” and called on Washington to immediately revoke them.
Germany sending warships to Taiwan
•” Germany will expand its military presence in the Indo-Pacific by sending more warships and joining drills with allies as it keeps an eye on the enormous build up of China’s armed forces,” said the German defence chief.
• Germany is joining other western nations in showing more muscle in the region amid growing alarm aver Beijing’s territorial ambitions.
Last year, Berlin sent its first warship in almost 20 years to the disputed waters of the South China sea – at the risk of irking it’s top trade partner- and this month it sent 13 military aircraft to joint exercises in Australia.
Why Taiwan is important to the world?
Taiwan’s economy is hugely important. Much of the world’s everyday electronic equipment – from phones to laptops watches and game consoles – is powered by computer chips made in Taiwan. A single Taiwan company – the TSMC, has over half of the World’s market. A Chinese takeover in Taiwan could give Beijing some control over the semiconductor sector of the world.
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