US President Joe Biden approved $571.3 million in defense assistance for Taiwan on Friday, the White House announced, just weeks ahead of Donald Trump’s planned inauguration in January.
Although the United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it remains the island’s primary strategic ally and top supplier of military support. In recent years, China has intensified its political and military pressure on Taiwan, urging Washington to halt its arms sales to the island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
Taiwanese officials reported that China conducted its largest maritime drills in years last week, involving around 90 military ships deployed from near Japan’s southern islands to the South China Sea. Beijing did not confirm the exercises.
In a brief statement, the White House confirmed that Biden authorized the drawdown of up to $571.3 million in military articles, services, and training for Taiwan. However, the statement did not provide specific details about the military assistance package, coming just three months after a similar package worth $567 million was approved.
Earlier this week, Taiwan received 38 advanced Abrams battle tanks from the U.S., marking its first new tank acquisition in 30 years. On Saturday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense expressed gratitude to the U.S. for its “strong security commitment.”
“We will continue to work closely with the U.S. on security matters to ensure peace, stability, and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that it would refrain from commenting on the specifics of the assistance based on a longstanding agreement with the U.S.
China has long condemned international support for Taiwan and accused the U.S. of interfering in its affairs. Beijing maintains a near-daily military presence around Taiwan, deploying fighter jets, drones, and warships.
China has made clear it will never renounce the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, increasing rhetoric about “unification” being “inevitable.” According to a U.S. Pentagon report released this week, China’s diplomatic, political, and military pressure against Taiwan has intensified significantly in 2023.
