The United States Department of State approved the sale of missile systems and tanks to Taiwan for more than $ 2 billion. This was reported by the American television channel CNBC, citing a statement by the Pentagon agency for defense cooperation. We are talking about 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks and 250 portable Stinger SAMs, as well as other weapons.
Last month, information appeared in the media that Washington could sell arms to Taiwan. According to the South China Morning Post, Taiwan sent the relevant application to the United States in June. The list of potential procurement then called and anti-tank missile systems (ATGW) BGM-71 TOW in the amount of 1,240 copies, 409 samples of FGM-148 Javelin.
It is also noted that earlier, Taipei sent the Pentagon a request to purchase a batch of F-16 fighter aircraft of an improved version of the Viper - about 66 aircraft. The Taiwan side explained its move by the need to modernize the aging Air Force aircraft fleet.
Recall that the official relations between the central government of the PRC and the island province were interrupted 70 years ago. This happened after the forces of the conservative political Kuomintang party lost the civil war of the Chinese Communist Party and moved to Taiwan. Business and informal relations of the parties resumed only in the late 1980s. Beijing considers Taiwan its territory.
Washington approved the sale of the party ZRK and tanks to Taiwan to continue to put pressure on China, but not by imposing sanctions restrictions, but by other means, the expert of the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies, Vladimir Bruter, said.
“And this will not be the only attempt to put pressure on Beijing. Washington is pursuing a specific goal by selling weapons to Taiwan — it’s not just an attempt to earn and strengthen its position in the arms market.
The US strategic objective is to contain China from various sides in various aspects. At the same time, the White House counts its steps for the long term, ”the analyst notes in an interview with RT.
- Pentagon building in Washington
- AFP
- © TECH. SGT. ANDY DUNAWAY / DOD
According to Alexey Maslov, head of the HSE School of Oriental Studies, the United States openly deals with Taipei to move to the next phase of pressure on China.
“Washington is beginning to escalate the military situation around the PRC, and Taiwan in this case uses it as a base for its maneuvers. Most of the air defense systems that are planned to be delivered to the island are tactical combat complexes, so we are talking about a potential conflict with the PRC, since there is no other way to use these weapons, ”said the expert in a conversation with RT.
Chinese response
Beijing, in turn, protested to the United States over the approval of the sale of large arms supplies to Taipei.
"The sale of American weapons to Taiwan seriously violates international law and the basic rules governing international relations ... We protest against these actions," quotes the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gen Shuan RIA Novosti.
The diplomat said that in this way Washington interferes in the internal affairs of China. According to him, the measures of the American side violate bilateral agreements between the countries.
In addition, Geng Shuang urged the United States to abide by the principle of "one China", and also immediately abandon plans to sell weapons to Taiwan and cease any military contacts with the island.
These steps, according to the diplomat, are necessary to avoid the deterioration of bilateral contacts between China and the United States, as well as to destabilize the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
"Taiwan remains an integral part of the territory of China, no one should underestimate the determination of the government and people of China to protect state sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as to resist external interference," said a spokesman for the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In January, the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Yi, called the Taiwan question “most sensitive” in relations between Beijing and Washington. He said this in an interview with the People's Daily.
Beijing made a similar appeal to Washington in October 2018. Then the official representative of the Office of Taiwan Affairs at the State Council of China, Ma Xiaoguang, stressed that the PRC opposes any contacts between Taipei and the United States.
As Vladimir Bruter notes, China is protesting against the United States, since Washington’s intentions to sell arms to Taiwan “heightens tension” in the region.
"However, China will not take any concrete actions - in China, they correctly assess the situation and will now deal with the setting of priorities in foreign policy - Beijing is faced with the task of choosing the best path," the expert predicted.
- The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China Geng Shuang
- Gettyimages.ru
- © Anadolu Agency
According to Bruter, the sale by the United States of enough new weapons to Taiwan gives a clear signal to the Chinese side that Taipei is in the zone of influence of Washington.
“Taiwan is dependent on the United States and acts in close coordination with Washington. Therefore, reports that Taiwan "ordered" weapons, can not be taken literally. Taipei asked for American weapons because the US wanted to supply them, ”explained the analyst.
According to Alexey Maslov, China considers the agreement between Taiwan and the United States illegal.
“Beijing considers Taiwan its integral territory, therefore, the Washington and Taipei deal is perceived as a purchase of weapons by the province of China in a separate order, which is impossible under Chinese law,” the expert noted.
According to Maslov, the situation with the supply of arms to Taiwan may lead to the closure of a number of Sino-Taiwanese projects, as well as the revision of the order of activities of Taiwanese businessmen who deliver their goods to the territory of the PRC.
"Applying pressure"
The current deal with Taiwan is not the first attempt by Washington to destabilize the situation in the region against the background of deteriorating relations with China, experts say.
In April, the US State Department approved the possible allocation of $ 500 million by the Pentagon to train Taiwanese pilots to fly F-16 fighters. About the press service of the department. It is noted that the money will also go to the technical support and logistics support for the F-16.
At the same time, Washington stressed that the deal is designed to support the US foreign policy and national security “through strengthening Taiwan’s defense capabilities.”
According to Vladimir Brutera, Washington’s measures to militarize the island increase tension in relations between the United States and China.
“Thus, the US is putting pressure on the PRC. Washington wants to demonstrate some kind of determination to resist a possible "Chinese aggression", which is so often referred to by the American administration. For the United States, such a policy is natural, since Washington is used to crushing where it is profitable and where it is possible, ”the expert noted.
Washington wants to ensure that China softens its position on a number of international issues in the trade sphere, as well as to create "internal lines of division" within the republic, Bruter said.
"The United States, for example, wants in particular China to cease trade relations with Iran, change its position on Venezuela," the analyst explained.
- F-16 Fighter
- © US Air Force
Washington expects that Beijing will not withstand the pressure and will yield to significant positions.
"The United States wants to create an uncomfortable situation for the PRC and limit Beijing in making important decisions," the expert said.
According to Alexey Maslov, the American side will deliberately continue to support the territorial conflicts around the PRC.
“The task of the United States is to make China never feel at ease. In the US, there are party leaders who are asking for more support for Taipei. And Washington is happy to respond to this, because it is thereby strengthening its presence in the East Asian region, ”the analyst emphasized.
According to Maslov, it is advantageous for Washington to use the island as a base for “irritating” China.
“In order not to allow Chinese policy to stabilize, to slow down the development of the PRC and not to allow it to expand its influence in the world,” the expert concluded.