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U.S. Gives Go Signal to First Military Transfer to Taiwan Under Foreign Aid Program
On Wednesday, the administration of President Joe Biden approved Taiwan's first military transfer through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, which is typically employed by sovereign states.
The State Department alerted congressional committees of its intention to obligate up to $80 million in FMF money in direct support of Taiwan, according to a notification given to Congress and obtained by Reuters.
It outlined the material would “be used to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities through joint and combined defense capability and enhanced maritime domain awareness and maritime security capability.”
The declaration was made shortly after British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly arrived in Beijing and the British House of Commons declared Taiwan to be a “independent country” free from Chinese influence.
Taiwan “is already an independent country, under the name Republic of China (ROC),” according to a report published by the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, in a clear refutation of the CCP's so-called “One China Policy.”
In explaining the Pentagon’s move to direct military aid, AP reports two U.S. officials said: “The United States has provided Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Taiwan for years. FMF simply enables eligible partner nations to purchase U.S. defense articles, services, and training through either FMS or, for a limited number of countries, through the foreign military financing of direct commercial contracts (FMF/DCC) program.”
The officials spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to make public comments.
According to American officials, the only other instance in which the U.S. offered military support to a non-nation state under FMF was to the African Union, a grouping of independent states with a headquarters in Ethiopia.
The FMF, which commits American taxpayer money to pay for the sale of materiel to foreign nations, did not specify what military hardware or systems will be paid for in the notification, a copy of which was obtained by the Associated Press.
But, it stated that a number of products, such as air and coastal defense systems, infantry fighting vehicles, armored vehicles, drones, ballistic missile and cyber defenses, and modern communications technology, could be covered..
It was also mentioned that armored and infantry fighting vehicles, ammunition, a variety of light, medium, and heavy weapon systems, and protective gear may all be included.
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