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By Mandy Taheri
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What's New
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sunday that the United States is "playing with fire" by providing millions in military aid to Taiwan and warned the move "will get the U.S. burned."
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Department of State for comment via email and filled out an online contact form with Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.
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Why It Matters
The U.S., while adhering to a decades-long diplomatic agreement of the "One China" policy—which acknowledges but does not endorse China's claims over Taiwan—remains the island nation's leading arms provider.
The U.S.'s military aid support of Taiwan often causes tension between Beijing and Washington. The U.S. State Department reaffirmed in December that Washington's approach to Taiwan has remained consistent across every administration for the past 45 years.
What To Know
China's strongly worded statement "deplores and firmly opposes" President Joe Biden's authorization of $571 million in military assistance to Taiwan and the Department of Defense's (DOD) confirmation of $295 million in approved arms sales to Taiwan. The White House authorized the package on Saturday, and the DOD confirmed the approval on Friday.
The U.S. military sales to Taiwan include $265 million for approximately 300 tactical radio systems and an estimated $30 million for over a dozen gun mounts, the Associated Press reported.
The U.S. recognizes Taiwan as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific region and maintains a "robust unofficial relationship" with the island, according to the U.S. State Department.
Taiwan maintains its own democratic autonomy from China despite Beijing's claims of sovereignty over the island. Tensions in the Taiwan Strait are often high, as China has staged military exercises and war games off the island's coast. The 100-mile wide strait separates China and Taiwan.
However, U.S.-China diplomacy is often strained over Taiwan, with Beijing stating in Sunday's statement that Taiwan is "the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S. relations."
The statement urged the U.S. to stop arming Taiwan and to "stop the dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."
It concluded by warning the U.S. that China "will take all measures necessary to firmly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity."
On Monday, Taiwan received an initial batch of 38 U.S.-made Abrams M1A2T tanks. The vehicles mark the first shipment of a total of 108 Abrams tanks approved for sale by Congress in 2019. The armor is part of Taiwan's broader efforts to strengthen its defenses amid increasing military aggression from China.
Earlier this month, China imposed sanctions on over a dozen American companies over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
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What People Are Saying
Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., told Newsweek in November: "The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations. The U.S. government needs to earnestly abide by the One China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués and prudently handle Taiwan-related issues so as to avoid severe damage to China-U.S. relations and cross-Strait peace and stability."
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense posted on X, formerly Twitter on Saturday: "We appreciate the US providing us with Mk75 76mm Gun Mounts and MIDS JTRS to enhance our ability to meet current and future threats."
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry posted on X on Saturday: "We welcome #US government approval of arms sales totaling US$295M to #Taiwan, reaffirming its commitment to our defense in line with the #TaiwanRelationsAct & #SixAssurances. We continue to strengthen our self-defense & bilateral security ties to secure #IndoPacific peace."
What Happens Next
It's unclear how the U.S.-China and U.S.-Taiwan relationships may evolve under the incoming administration. President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office in less than a month, has said that "Taiwan should pay us for defense."
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