On Monday, the US State Department announced the potential arms sale to Taiwan, which includes 108 Abrams tanks and 250 Stinger surface to air missiles.
This step of the US to potentially sale arms of worth $2.2bn to Taiwan will cause it to face sanctions, China expressed its anger giving a warning to Washington “not to play with fire”.
“The US arms sale to Taiwan has severely violated the basic norms of international law and international relations,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement on Friday.
“In order to safeguard national interests, China will impose sanctions on US enterprises participating in this sale of weapons to Taiwan,” he added.
Taiwan on Saturday defended its right to purchase weapons saying it will strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense in the environment of an escalating military threat from China.
“The national army will continue to strengthen its key defense forces, ensure national security, protect its homeland, and ensure that the fruits of freedom and democracy won’t be attacked,” Taiwan’s defense ministry said in a statement.
Taiwan would be heavily outgunned in matters regarding troop numbers and firepower during any conflict with China, and always wanted to upgrade much of its military equipment, especially in its Air force.
“Taiwan stands in the frontline of China’s ambitious expansion and faces enormous threats and pressure from Beijing,” the Taiwanese foreign ministry said in a statement.
“This arms sale of M1-A2 tanks and various missiles will help greatly to increase our defensive capabilities,” he added.
This arm’s deal would be Washington’s first military sale to the self-ruled island in decades and will result as exacerbating ties between Washington and Beijing, the World’s two largest economies that have been clutched in an ongoing Trade war.
Even though Taiwan, which separated from China as a result of civil war in 1949, doesn’t have diplomatic ties with the US, Washington provides Taipei with military support and other assistance. China regards these “favors” of the US as an intervention in its internal affairs.
