Trump Arms Sales to Taiwan Boost Anti-China ‘Hedgehog’ Strategy

Weapons aimed at raising the cost of invasion for Beijing
‘When a lion tries to swallow a hedgehog, it will hurt’

WATCH: Member of Taiwan Parliament and Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairperson Wang Ting-yu discusses the U.S. arms sale to Taiwan and what the sale could mean for relations between the U.S., Taiwan and China.Markets: Asia.” (Source: Bloomberg)

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By Iain Marlow and Samson Ellis

October 27, 2020 at 12:00 PM UTC

Updated on

October 28, 2020 at 2:51 AM UTC

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While China has long opposed U.S. arms exports to Taiwan, the Trump administration’s latest sales are worrying to Beijing for another reason: They show a greater alignment among the two democracies on the so-called “hedgehog” strategy to resist an invasion.

The U.S. weapons approved this month mark a notable shift in approach from the flashier warplanes and tanks traditionally favored in Taipei that were more vulnerable to an attack from Beijing. In the last two weeks, the State Department signed off on the $2.4 billion sale of 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems anti-ship missiles and $1.8 billion worth of extended-range land attack mobile missiles, as well as surveillance and reconnaissance sensors.