The United States has ramped up efforts to help Taiwan stockpile weapons following recent Chinese military exercises around the self-governed island, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed officials
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th October, 2022) The United States has ramped up efforts to help Taiwan stockpile weapons following recent Chinese military exercises around the self-governed island, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed officials.
The air and sea exercises, which followed US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial high-profile visit to Taiwan in August, allegedly indicated that China would likely seek to "blockade" Taiwan prior to "invading" it, the current and former officials told the newspaper.
This means that Taiwan would need sufficient weapons to hold its ground until foreign states could intervene, the report said. US officials have reportedly informed Taiwanese officials and US weapons manufacturers that they would prioritize smaller, more mobile systems for Taiwan to engage in asymmetrical warfare.
The US has long maintained strategic ambiguity toward the Taiwan problem, although US President Biden has repeatedly made off-the-cuff remarks that indicate the US would defend Taiwan militarily in the case of a "Chinese invasion."
In September, the Biden administration approved its sixth weapons package for Taiwan, which totaled $1.1 billion.
