U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price remained silent during a press conference on Thursday (April 22) when asked if the US is considering selling long-range cruise missiles to Taiwan. When asked if the State Department is in talks with Taiwan about missiles and if the US is willing to sell such weapons to the East Asian nation, the spokesperson said Washington’s commitment to Taipei is “rock solid.”
As earlier reported by TFIGlobalnews, the Biden administration was set to approve its first arms sale to Taiwan. Under former President Donald Trump administration, the United States and Taiwan had enjoyed extremely cordial relations. The Trump administration had approved numerous arms deal in the face of growing Chinese belligerence. But since Biden has ascended the office, China’s intrusion activities have grown manifolds. While the Biden administration has continuously said that the US commitment to Taiwan remains rock solid, its silence on the latest arms deals suggests otherwise.
Ned Price pointed out that Taiwan “contributes to the maintenance of peace and security in the Taiwan Strait and within the region,” adding that “it has been longstanding U.S. policy and it is reflected in the Taiwan Relations Act that the United States maintains the capacity to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, social, or economic system of the people on Taiwan.”
Price went on to say that the US will continue to work with allies in the Indo-Pacific, including in the strait, to promote “shared prosperity, security, and values.”
“I am not in a position to speak to the logistics of that or what might be required there,” the spokesperson said when asked about the possibility of speeding up the delivery of weapons already sold to Taiwan but not yet delivered. He went on to say that the US is still talking to Taiwan about a variety of issues, including defence.
The AGM-158 missile is a long-range air-to-ground missile that can travel over 370 kilometres. According to Lockheed Martin, it’s designed to “destroy high-value, well-defended, fixed and relocatable targets.”
Former US President Donald Trump was one of the most pro-Taiwan presidents in recent memory. Trump also provided the island nation with weaponry worth millions of dollars, in line with his strategy of encircling China. Furthermore, the Trump administration guaranteed that future presidents would not be able to leave Taipei.
In the East China Sea, the South China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait, China’s hostility has increased. Joe Biden is doing all he can to make Taiwan’s situation worse at a time when the country is being bullied the most. The Biden administration, according to the White House, is handling China with restraint and is not in a hurry. And at the same time, is even ready to sacrifice Taiwan and the geopolitical advantage it provides to keep China happy and calm.