US President Joe Bidens administration has for the first time approved direct US military aid to Taiwan under an assistance programme aimed at foreign governments officials said on Wednesday . The State Department informed Congress on Tuesday of the $1 million package which is small compared with recent sales to Taiwan but marks the first assistance to Taipei under the Foreign Military Financing programme .
The move is sure to anger China . For five decades the United States has officially recognised only Beijing although Congress under the Taiwan Relations Act requires the supply of weapons to the selfgoverning democracy for its defense . The assistance needs approval from Congress which is virtually certain as lawmakers from both parties widely support Taiwan .
Taiwan’s defense ministry expressed gratitude. The aid will help in regional peace and stability it said in a short statement . In July Biden approved $1.2 million of military aid from leftover US stockpiles to Taiwan from leftover U.S. stockpiles . The U.
N. stockpile of funds was used to help Ukraine as it fought off a Russian invasion of Crimea . China has carried out major military exercises three times in little more than a year in response to Taiwanese leaders interactions with the U. Koreans have said they believe it is preparing for a possible invasion of territory in recent months to a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan .
Chinese President Xi Jinping is taking steps away from the status quo in recent years to try to avoid an invasion of the region’s ‘tensions’ to the US’. China has been “tougherly’ed out of its own territory’inging out of the country’S.
‘militarising” to the United Nations”.
