The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan. /Xinhua
Editor's note: Shen Zhongyong, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is an assistant research fellow at the Taiwan Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
On October 26, the U.S. Defense Department announced that the State Department has approved arms sales to the Taiwan region valued at $1.988 billion. All along, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have been a serious interference in China's internal affairs, a serious damage to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a serious threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated that this batch aims to enhance Taiwan's air defense capabilities. It includes three National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) and associated weapons systems, as well as AN/TPS-77 and AN/TPS-78 radar systems and related equipment. This marks the 17th arms sale to Taiwan under President Joe Biden and represents the largest deal during his presidency. According to the "U.S.-Taiwan Business Council," since Biden approved the first arms sale to Taiwan in August 2021, the total value of arms sales has surpassed $5.7 billion, with this latest approval bringing the total to nearly $7.7 billion.
The timing of this round of arms sales shows that the approval of the deal is more a result of internal U.S. politics rather than peace in the Taiwan Strait. Biden may aim to strengthen the Democratic Party's foreign affairs position through this arms sale to bolster Kamala Harris's presidential campaign. The Biden administration's support for Israel's military operations in Gaza and its inability to effectively counter Russia's actions in Ukraine have increasingly burdened Harris's campaign. The arms sale to Taiwan that Biden approved this month is another significant political misstep, as it may not only fail to garner additional support for the Democrats, but also expose further weaknesses in his foreign policy strategy.
U.S. President Joe Biden. /CFP
The sale, however, may ultimately become a "rubber check." Supplies of the NASAMS systems, previously deployed in Ukraine, have been suspended to other U.S. allies. Given the pressure on production, similar delays in delivering these weapons to Taiwan may also be anticipated.
As stated by the spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Taiwan authorities led by Lai Ching-te can buy weapons, but they cannot buy security. The U.S. is treating Taiwan as both a cash cow and a dumping ground. No matter how many weapons Taiwan authorities acquire from the U.S., they are just handing over "protection money" that cannot be redeemed, and in turn are jeopardizing peace across the Taiwan Strait.
The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP's) attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" by relying on external forces or military means leads nowhere but escalation of tensions across the Strait. DPP authorities and their overseas supporters ought to understand that the more they spend on purchasing weapons, the more insecure people in Taiwan will feel, as this move will only push Taiwan closer to the brink of war. These separatists must recognize that no matter what DPP authorities say or do, the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China will not change, and the historic trend that the two sides of the Strait will and must be reunified will never be reversed.
The U.S. government should also understand that arming Taiwan goes against the U.S. commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence" and also destabilizes China-U.S. relations. It is a political farce that is destined to fail. If the U.S. truly hopes to see peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, it should abide by the one-China principle, implement the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, stop arming Taiwan, publicly oppose "Taiwan independence," and support the peaceful reunification of China.
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