US proposed sale of $1.bn arms to Taiwan violates One China Principle

Published: September 01,2022

By Staff writer 

After the US sent two ships through the Taiwan Strait in a so called ‘freedom of navigation’ exercise, the world saw this as an outright provocation of China which happened after the controversial visit to Taiwan by the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Again it should be noted that, twelve days after Pelosi’s controversial visit, a delegation led by US Senator Ed Markey also visited Taipei. 

Marsha Blackburn, a Republican senator who was part of the delegation said on his tweeter handle that, “I just landed in Taiwan to send a message to Beijing – we will not be bullied.” This was in reference to US claims that in the event of an Invasion of Taiwan by China,   the US will come to their defence. The US policy towards Taiwan maintains a deliberate “strategic ambiguity,” where on one side the US says that it recognizes the “One China Policy” while on the other, supporting “the independence of Taiwan.”

Media reports says that US  President Joe Biden, plans to ask Congress to approve an estimated $1.1bn arms sale to Taiwan, including 60 anti-ship missiles and 100 air-to-air missiles. The arms to be shipped to Taiwan,are believed to include; includes 60 AGM-84L Harpoon Block II missiles for $355m, 100 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder tactical air-to-air missiles for $85.6m, and $655.4m for a surveillance radar contract extension. 

Once the US administration completes the formal process, the deal will need approval by the foreign affairs committees of Congress. The legislators are expected to approve the sale, of arms to Taiwan according to media reports. 

The report of the new weapons comes amid heightened tension and continued provocation of China by US. The US views China as its main strategic rival rather than looking at China as strategic partner graduating from developing countries to join the ranks of developed nations. The world needs peaceful coexistence, shard development and symbiotic engagement rather than confrontation and war mongering. 

The Taiwan question is an internal matter of Chinareflecting its dark side of history. The global community should support total unification of China and Taiwan rather than drawing wedges to separate lands and peoples of one country.