00:00China has issued a strong warning to the United States,
00:28telling Washington to immediately stop arming Taiwan.
00:33The reaction comes after Taiwan confirmed that the U.S. State Department
00:57has approved an $11 billion weapons package, one of the largest arms sales to the island in years.
01:04Although the deal still requires approval from the U.S. Congress,
01:09Taiwan's defense ministry says the sale could take effect within about a month.
01:14Speaking at a press briefing, China's foreign ministry accused Washington
01:19of violating the one-China principle, calling the arms sale a dangerous provocation.
01:25Beijing says such moves undermine regional stability
01:29and encourage what it calls separatist forces in Taiwan.
01:34For Washington, however, the message is very different.
01:38The U.S. says the weapons package is aimed at deterrence, not escalation,
01:43helping Taiwan defend itself amid growing pressure from China.
01:48The newly announced package includes HIMARS rocket systems,
01:52howitzers, anti-tank missiles, drones, and other advanced military equipment.
01:58According to Taipei, these systems are designed to raise the cost of any potential invasion
02:03and strengthen Taiwan's ability to resist an attack.
02:07This is now the second arms sale to Taiwan since U.S. President Donald Trump
02:12returned to office earlier this year.
02:15The first, approved in November, was a much smaller $330 million deal
02:20focused on spare parts and components.
02:24Historically, the United States has been Taiwan's largest weapons supplier,
02:29even while maintaining formal diplomatic ties with Beijing instead of Taipei.
02:34But comments made by President Trump in the past
02:37have occasionally raised doubts about how far Washington would go to defend the island.
02:43Those doubts have pushed Taiwan to do more on its own.
02:47Over the past decade, Taipei has steadily increased defense spending
02:51as Chinese military pressure around the island has intensified.
02:56Taiwan's current government has pledged to raise defense spending
02:59to over 3% of GDP next year and to 5% by 2030.
03:05Officials are also seeking up to $1 trillion new Taiwan dollars in special funding
03:11to upgrade air defense systems and expand ammunition production.
03:16Still, Taiwan faces political hurdles at home.
03:20These spending plans must pass an opposition-controlled parliament,
03:23making approval far from guaranteed.
03:27Meanwhile, China continues its near-daily military activity around the island.
03:32Taipei says it recently detected 40 Chinese military aircraft
03:36and eight naval vessels operating nearby within a 24-hour period,
03:42part of what analysts call gray zone tactics,
03:46actions that stop short of open war but apply constant pressure.
03:51Adding to tensions,
03:53China's newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian,
03:55has now sailed through the Taiwan Strait,
03:58a highly symbolic move closely watched by regional militaries.
04:03Despite Taiwan's growing domestic defense industry,
04:06analysts agree the island would still be vastly outgunned
04:10in a full-scale conflict with China,
04:12making continued U.S. military support crucial.
04:17For now, congressional approval in Washington appears likely,
04:21given strong bipartisan support for Taiwan's defense.
04:24But Beijing's sharp response shows that each new arms deal
04:29pushes U.S.-China relations closer to the edge,
04:33keeping the Taiwan Strait one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the world.
04:40Subscribe to OneIndia and never miss an update.
04:45Download the OneIndia app now.
Comments