June 19, 2024
No. 207
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has received official notification from the United States government that its executive branch has informed Congress of a US$360.2 million sale to Taiwan of loitering missile systems, including antipersonnel (Switchblade 300) and antiarmor (Altius 600M) munitions. MOFA highly welcomes this news and thanks the US government for continuing to honor its security commitments as outlined in the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.
This is the Biden administration’s 15th arms sale package to Taiwan since it assumed office in 2021 and the second this month. Continuing the US policy of recent years of normalizing arms sales to Taiwan, the deal demonstrates the US government’s strong support for meeting Taiwan’s defense needs, particularly in building asymmetric warfare and deterrence capabilities, as well as high regard for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Recently China has frequently conducted gray-zone operations to intimidate Taiwan and neighboring countries and employed military coercion in provocative actions against democratic nations in the region. The United States has worked with like-minded partners to repeatedly urge China to cease such irrational behavior as harassing Taiwan and damaging the peaceful and stable cross-strait status quo. In the face of the range of threats posed by China, Taiwan will continue to show its determination to protect its homeland. It will enhance its self-defense capabilities and asymmetric combat strength, staunchly defend its free and democratic way of life, and pursue peace through strength. Furthermore, it will deepen the close Taiwan-US security partnership so as to jointly safeguard the rules-based international order and advance peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific region. (E)