00:00 The United States has announced $345 million in military aid for Taiwan,
00:05 ramping up support for the self-ruled island that is claimed by China.
00:09 U.S. President Joe Biden's administration said that the package will include
00:14 defense articles, military education, and training.
00:17 The White House announcement did not elaborate on the weapons or equipment
00:21 that could be provided to Taiwan. The announcement prompted a retort from Beijing.
00:27 China has promised to reunify democratically ruled Taiwan with the Chinese mainland by force,
00:33 if necessary. In a statement, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington,
00:38 Liu Pengyu, said that the U.S. should stop selling arms to Taiwan.
00:42 The U.S. does not officially recognize Taiwan, which has just 13 diplomatic allies,
00:47 but has sought to boost its defenses amid Beijing's increasingly aggressive stance
00:52 towards the island, including regular incursions of warplanes and naval bases.
00:57 Earlier this month, China conducted major military exercises around Taiwan for the
01:02 second time this year. It sent dozens of warships and planes close to the Taiwanese coastline.
01:07 While Washington does support Taiwanese independence under its "One China" policy,
01:11 U.S. law requires it to support the defense of the island, whose disputed status stems
01:15 from the defeated Kuomintang's retreat to the island at the end of the Chinese Civil War.
01:19 Washington has approved billions of dollars of military aid for Taipei in recent years,
01:24 including an $8 billion deal to deliver 66 F-16 fighter jets by 2026.
01:30 Biden's backing of Taiwan and the independence-leaning administration of Tsai Ing-wen
01:35 have added to mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing,
01:38 which has accused the U.S. of turning the island into a powder keg.
01:52 So, what do you think?
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