Taipei, June 7: Taiwan has confirmed on Thursday it has formally requested portable missiles and state-of-the-art tanks to the United States (US) in a proposed pact that drew strong criticism from China.
According to Dawn news reports, Taiwan’s defence ministry has asked for more than 1,500 Javelin, TOW anti-tank missiles, 250 shoulder-fired Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and 108 M1A2 Abrams main battled tanks, as per an official statement. The ministry added Taipei’s request was under process as “normal.
Bloomberg News has reported the US President Donald Trump administration has provided informal notification of the plan to the Congress over the selling of equipment in a $2 billion deal with Taiwan.
China stated it had some “serious concerns” with the development between the US and Taiwan.
In January, during an event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the “Message to Compatriots in Taiwan” at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said the reunification of Taiwan must come under China’s one-principle which will accept Taiwan as a part of China, an anathema to the supporters of Taiwan’s independence.
Taiwan’s ministry of foreign affairs (MOFA) said Jinping’s attempt pressuring Taiwan through the “1992 consensus” and Beijing’s “one China principle” highlights its ignorance over the fact that Taiwan has been globally recognized democracy, and that Taiwan citizens would only refuse to accept Beijing’s approach.
The “1992 consensus” was an agreement reached in 1992 between Chinese communist officials and then Kuomintang (KMT) government of Taiwan, where both sides of the Taiwan Strait would acknowledge that there is only “one China” with both sides free interpreting what “China” means.
Taiwan will never accept an offer for a talk session with China, who is determined to crush out Taiwan’s sovereignty. Taiwan also urged China to not misjudge the situation and take any of unilateral decision or action as Taiwan is already prepared in order to safeguards its sovereignty and dignity.
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