The president of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, stated this Sunday, the 17th, that arms purchases from the United States are “the most important element of deterrence” against regional conflicts and instability, after the North American president, Donald Trump, cast doubt on the country’s continued support for the island after his visit to China.
US arms sales to Taiwan and security cooperation between the two sides are not only governed by law, but also a catalyst for regional peace and stability, Lai said in a statement.
“We thank President Trump for his continued support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait since his first term, including the continued increase in the scale and value of arms sales to Taiwan,” he said.
The statement came days after the Republican raised doubts about his willingness to continue selling weapons to Taiwan, the island democracy that China claims as a breakaway province, to be retaken by force if necessary.
The US, like all countries that maintain formal relations with China, does not recognize Taiwan as a country, but has been the island’s main supporter and arms supplier. Washington is obliged by its own laws to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and considers any threat to the island a matter of extreme concern.
‘Bartering currency’
Trump already approved in December a record $11 billion weapons package for Taiwan, including missiles, drones, artillery systems and military software.
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In an interview shown last Friday, 15th, on Fox Newsat a time when Trump was ending a high-risk visit to China, the president said that he has not yet given the green light to a new US$14 billion arms package for Taiwan and that this “depends on China”.
“It’s a very good bargaining chip for us, frankly,” he declared. The comments sparked concern on the island, which the Taiwanese government has sought to dispel, noting that official U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed.
“Taiwan will not provoke or escalate conflicts, but it will also not give up its national sovereignty and dignity, nor its democratic and free way of life, under pressure,” Lai said in the statement, calling China “the root cause” of undermining regional peace and stability and trying to change the status quo.
China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when the Communist Party came to power in Beijing after a civil war. The defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan, which later transitioned from martial law rule to a multi-party democracy. Source: Associated Press.
