Recently, the US government announced that it had approved the sale of $2 billion worth of arms to Taiwan, a move that caused strong dissatisfaction among the Chinese government. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a solemn statement, saying that it would take "resolute countermeasures" and that it would firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Content and background of US arms sales

Although the United States and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, the United States continues to provide Taiwan with self-defense means based on the Taiwan Relations Act. This arms sale is the 17th arms sale to Taiwan by the Biden administration, involving advanced air defense missile systems and high-performance radar systems with a total value of approximately $2 billion. The US statement pointed out that this arms sale plan is in line with the national economic and security interests of the United States, and will help Taiwan modernize its armed forces and enhance its defense capabilities.

Specifically, the arms sale includes a missile system worth approximately $1.16 billion, which is led by the well-known arms contractor RTX (i.e. Raytheon Technologies). This missile system has been tested in actual combat on the Ukrainian battlefield and has advanced air defense interception capabilities. In addition, it also includes a radar system worth approximately $828 million, which will greatly enhance Taiwan's airspace monitoring and early warning capabilities. The Pentagon said in a statement that the arms sale is intended to help Taiwan maintain effective defense capabilities and promote regional political stability, military balance and economic development.

China's strong reaction and position

After the United States announced the arms sale, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately issued a statement on October 26, solemnly protesting and calling on the United States to stop its actions that undermine peace in the Taiwan Strait. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the arms sale seriously violated the one-China principle and undermined China's sovereignty, and urged the United States to immediately stop arms sales to Taiwan to avoid further intensifying the situation across the Taiwan Strait. The statement also emphasized that China will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. Although the statement did not elaborate on the details of the countermeasures, such statements indicate that China may take responsive actions in many aspects such as diplomacy, economy or military.

In recent years, the Chinese government has continuously increased its military presence in the Taiwan Strait and frequently conducted military exercises, including sending fighter jets and warships to cruise in the waters around Taiwan. Especially this year, China's military deployment in the Taiwan Strait has been more intensive to demonstrate its sovereignty claims over Taiwan. However, the Taiwanese government has repeatedly stated that Taiwan is a democratically governed region and has always firmly rejected Beijing's sovereignty claims.

Taiwan's response and determination to defend itself

The Taiwanese government welcomes the new round of arms sales from the United States. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan stressed that in the face of military pressure from China, Taiwan has the responsibility to defend national security and the stability of people's lives, and said it would continue to demonstrate its determination to defend itself. In its statement accepting the arms sales, Taiwan also thanked the United States for its support and promised to ensure peace in the Taiwan Strait by strengthening its defense capabilities.

Views of all parties and future developments

This arms sale has also sparked widespread discussion in international public opinion. Some analysts believe that the United States' increased military support for Taiwan is aimed at ensuring military balance in the Taiwan Strait and preventing potential conflicts. However, there are also views that frequent arms sales may increase tensions in the Taiwan Strait and prompt China to take tougher countermeasures.

In recent years, the situation in the Taiwan Strait has fluctuated more and more frequently, and the US arms sales policy to Taiwan has gradually escalated from the initial defensive support. Against this background, every US arms sales to Taiwan will cause a strong response in China, thereby intensifying the game between the two countries. At the same time, the Taiwanese government has also continuously strengthened its military equipment and defense capabilities to cope with potential security threats.

It is foreseeable that as the United States continues to strengthen its military support for Taiwan, China's military activities around Taiwan may further increase. All parties are paying close attention to how the situation in the Taiwan Strait will develop in the future.