The latest mammoth U.S. arms sale to Taiwan signals that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump will look to maintain its strong defense ties with the island even as it boosts its trade and economic relationship with China.
The proposed sale grabbed headlines because its potential value ¡ª $11 billion ¡ª is among the largest ever between the two governments. It drew an angry response from China, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun saying China ¡°strongly opposes and condemns¡± the package.
Dollar amount aside, the systems announced in Wednesday night¡¯s deal have all been sold to Taiwan before except for an undefined tactical command and control network that¡¯s yet to be awarded, or even open to bids. The package didn¡¯t include additional Harpoon or SLAM-Extended Range anti-ship missiles or Mk-48 heavyweight torpedoes previously sold to Taiwan as a means to defend against a Chinese sea-invasion force.
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