The US administration has announced that it will provide $567 million in military aid to Taiwan, which is in a sovereignty dispute with China.
A White House statement said US President Joseph Biden authorized the State Department to withdraw the relevant amount to provide defense products and services, military education, military training and assistance to Taiwan under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
This is the largest single United States of America (US) military aid to Taiwan to date.
China responded by accusing the US of supporting secessionist forces in Taiwan, calling it the biggest threat to peace and stability in the strait, state media reported.
“The biggest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the most significant damage to the status quo in the strait comes from the secessionist activities of the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces and the pandering and support they receive from outside forces led by the US,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, adding:
“Taiwan’s independence is a dead end, and American insistence on supporting it by force will inevitably cause harm.”
Late Sunday, Biden authorized the withdrawal of up to $567 million in “DoD defense items and services, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan.”
The US announcement of military aid to Taiwan was made under the US Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and came ahead of the 75th anniversary of the founding of China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, AA writes.
