[Global Times Special Correspondent Cheng Dong] The US State Department announced on the 7th that it has approved the sale of the US$100 million, five-year Patriot Missile Engineering Service (IESP) and Battlefield Surveillance Project (FSP) project plans to Taiwan.

This is the second time that the Biden administration has approved arms sales to Taiwan.

The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council stated on the 7th that the DPP authorities' provocation of "independence" will only aggravate the tension and turmoil in the Taiwan Strait and push Taiwan into disaster step by step.

At the same time, public opinion broke the news that this arms sales case is actually another "take advantage" of Taiwan.

$100 million service fee

　　The sale to Taiwan includes equipment and services needed to maintain the Patriot missile system for a five-year period and a total price of about $100 million, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.

The main contractors for the missile system are Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.

In this regard, Taiwan's "Presidential Palace" spokesman Zhang Dunhan expressed "sincere thanks" on the 8th.

Taiwan's "Ministry of Defense" said on the 8th that the U.S. government has "notified Congress" about the arms sales case, which is expected to take effect in a month.

On the same day, Taiwan's "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" issued a statement, saying that this move fully demonstrated Washington's great importance to Taiwan's "defense", allowing Taiwan to obtain the equipment needed for defense in real time, effectively enhancing its deterrence capabilities.

　　The pro-green "Liberty Times" said on the 8th that this arms sales case accidentally revealed the essence of Taiwan's previous "Patriot 2" missile performance improvement case, that is, the upgrade to the "Patriot" guided enhanced missile.

The missile has the ability to prevent and intercept enemy ballistic missiles with a range of 600 kilometers, as well as low-altitude attacks on Taiwan, cruise missiles with small radar cross-sections and other military threats after the combat capability has been improved.

The newspaper said that in addition to using the "Patriot 3", "Patriot 2", "Tiangong 2" and "Tiangong 4", the main air defense equipment of the Taiwan Army's air defense missile force has also used the "Patriot 3" to purchase the U.S. military. The balance of the case will purchase an additional batch of enhanced missiles, and it is planned to complete the delivery and deployment in batches in 2025 and 2026.

Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council criticized for provocation of "independence"

　　In August last year, the Biden administration approved the sale of 40 M109A6 self-propelled guns, 20 M992A2 series field artillery ammunition supply vehicles and a set of Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) to Taiwan. Total arms sales were $750 million.

In January this year, Reuters also disclosed that the U.S. government is looking for a way to speed up the delivery of a new generation of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, in order to strengthen Taiwan’s ability to respond to the PLA’s “intimidation”.

The report also said that Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party authorities had also privately requested the U.S. government to speed up the delivery of fighter jets, but Han Rubo, president of the U.S.-Taiwan Chamber of Commerce, said bluntly that it depends on whether the U.S. government considers the mainland a “military threat” greater than Iran and Russia. still big.

　　Regarding the latest arms sales to Taiwan by the relevant departments of the US government, Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on the 7th that the DPP authorities colluded with external forces to seek "independence" provocations and used the hard-earned money of Taiwanese people to buy weapons, which could not save "Taiwan independence" The fate of inevitable demise will only aggravate the tension and turmoil in the Taiwan Strait and push Taiwan into disaster step by step.

"We urge the US side to stop playing with fire on Taiwan-related issues, correct its wrongful act of selling arms to Taiwan, stop using the separatist forces of 'Taiwan independence' to harm China's interests, and return to abiding by the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiqués, especially the '88' ·Come on the correct path stipulated in the 17' Communiqué."

To support the "whole family" on behalf of the United States

　　However, behind this arms sale, Taiwan has been forced to take a "take advantage of" once again.

The United News Network said on the 8th that the largest project of the $100 million "Patriot" missile system is the cost of Raytheon's missile system technical assistance consultant.

In fact, this payment is the result of Taiwan's "bow down to the US", which is equivalent to the "membership fee" for rejoining the Patriot missile user.

　　Lianhe News Network explained in detail that the Taiwan military has always had a very heavy personnel maintenance fee for the purchase of equipment from the US military, but it is not for the maintenance of Taiwan officers and soldiers, but for the representative fees of various US arms dealers stationed in Taiwan for technical assistance consultants.

Even most of the US technical representatives did not go to Taiwan alone, but went to Taiwan with their families.

　　It is understood that the Taiwan Army's purchase of the AH-64E "Apache" helicopter "Sky Eagle Project" should be closed last year, but the United States proposed that the balance should not be returned, but be directly invested in the technical representative stationed in Taiwan. The Taiwan Army is still there. Deal with the United States.

Similarly, the "Patriot" missile system technical assistance consultant fee has been implemented for many years - in 2020, Raytheon proposed a high payment of 100 million US dollars, which the Taiwan Air Force considered too high and has not been paid.

Raytheon then complained to the U.S. military, and the matter came to the American Institute in Taiwan, and tried to report it to the top of the Taiwan authorities.

In the end, Raytheon actually disqualified the Taiwan Army's "Patriot" user, did not allow the Taiwan Army to participate in the annual meeting of the user, and even threatened not to implement the routine upgrade of Taiwan's "Patriot" missile hardware and software.

　　According to the report, in February last year, after Taiwan's "Defense Minister" Qiu Guozheng took office, under pressure from the United States, he promised to pay the 100 million US dollars in installments, which is the arms sales case.

In other words, the Taiwan military paid the 100 million US dollars in installments, in fact, it was only in exchange for rejoining the ranks of the "Patriot" users, and Raytheon technical representatives went to Taiwan to implement the hardware and software upgrade of the missile system.