US OKs First Arms Sale for Taiwan Under Program for Nations
- $80 million authorization not a policy change, officials say
- China sees Taiwan as renegade province, opposes US aid
Assault amphibious vehicles on Bali beach during the Han Kuang military exercise in New Taipei City, Taiwan, on July 27.
Photographer: I-Hwa Cheng/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The US for the first time approved the transfer of weapons to Taiwan under a program usually reserved for sovereign states, the State Department said Wednesday.
The department added that the transfer under the Foreign Military Financing mechanism didn’t reflect a change in policy on the island’s status, according to the Associated Press. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has repeatedly protested American arms sales.