President Joe Biden approved a further $567 million in defense aid for Taiwan, amid rising tensions with China over the island nation.
In a statement on Sunday, the White House said Biden had given the Secretary of State the authority “to direct the drawdown of up to $567 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan”.
No further details were given.
Back in April, multiple bills were signed providing billions of dollars of further aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other US partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
In recent months, Taipei has complained that scheduled US arms deliveries have been delayed. Crucial deliveries of 66 new F-16v jets have been pushed back towards the end of this year.
The prospect of a war with China over Taiwan continues to grow.
A new strategic document warns that the US Navy must be ready to fight a war against China by 2027.
“The Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy” states that the Navy must develop “readiness for the possibility of war with the People’s Republic of China by 2027,” highlighting China’s preparations for invading Taiwan by that year.
“By 2027, the Navy will be more ready for sustained combat as part of a Joint and Combined force, prioritizing the People’s Republic of China as the pacing challenge and focusing on enabling the joint warfighting ecosystem.”
The Plan follows a Congressional report published in July that found “the U.S. military lacks both the capabilities and the capacity required to be confident it can deter and prevail in combat” against China.
The report also predicted that China will increase its aggressive behavior towards Taiwan in the coming years as it seeks to “normalize unlawful behavior” ahead of an invasion attempt.
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