AIRLINK 151.71 Decreased By ▼ -4.00 (-2.57%)
BOP 10.05 Decreased By ▼ -0.26 (-2.52%)
CNERGY 7.30 Decreased By ▼ -0.35 (-4.58%)
CPHL 85.11 Decreased By ▼ -3.06 (-3.47%)
FCCL 46.57 Decreased By ▼ -0.79 (-1.67%)
FFL 15.78 Decreased By ▼ -0.34 (-2.11%)
FLYNG 54.86 Decreased By ▼ -3.15 (-5.43%)
HUBC 136.89 Decreased By ▼ -1.63 (-1.18%)
HUMNL 11.25 Decreased By ▼ -0.29 (-2.51%)
KEL 5.34 Decreased By ▼ -0.13 (-2.38%)
KOSM 5.63 Increased By ▲ 0.17 (3.11%)
MLCF 82.84 Decreased By ▼ -0.91 (-1.09%)
OGDC 208.86 Decreased By ▼ -3.19 (-1.5%)
PACE 6.05 Increased By ▲ 0.19 (3.24%)
PAEL 41.46 Decreased By ▼ -1.76 (-4.07%)
PIAHCLA 22.38 Increased By ▲ 0.62 (2.85%)
PIBTL 8.19 Decreased By ▼ -0.23 (-2.73%)
POWER 13.80 Decreased By ▼ -0.56 (-3.9%)
PPL 167.09 Decreased By ▼ -3.90 (-2.28%)
PRL 32.17 Decreased By ▼ -1.32 (-3.94%)
PTC 24.43 Decreased By ▼ -1.07 (-4.2%)
SEARL 89.83 Decreased By ▼ -3.06 (-3.29%)
SSGC 41.52 Decreased By ▼ -0.40 (-0.95%)
SYM 14.86 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-0.93%)
TELE 7.69 Decreased By ▼ -0.13 (-1.66%)
TPLP 9.14 Decreased By ▼ -0.17 (-1.83%)
TRG 63.20 Decreased By ▼ -1.02 (-1.59%)
WAVESAPP 9.14 Decreased By ▼ -0.28 (-2.97%)
WTL 1.45 Increased By ▲ 0.08 (5.84%)
YOUW 4.15 Decreased By ▼ -0.04 (-0.95%)
BR100 13,037 Decreased By -207.6 (-1.57%)
BR30 37,726 Decreased By -745.3 (-1.94%)
KSE100 122,144 Decreased By -1949.6 (-1.57%)
KSE30 36,883 Decreased By -653.4 (-1.74%)

WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday announced a $1.1 billion arms package for Taiwan, vowing to keep boosting the island’s defenses as tensions soar with Beijing, which warned Washington of “counter-measures.”

The sale comes a month after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defiantly visited the self-governing democracy, prompting mainland China to launch a show of force that could be a trial run for a future invasion. The package — the largest for Taiwan approved under President Joe Biden’s administration — includes $665 million for contractor support to maintain and upgrade a Raytheon early radar warning system in operation since 2013 that would warn Taiwan about an incoming attack.

Taiwan will also spend $355 million on 60 Harpoon Block II missiles, which can track and sink incoming vessels if China launches an assault by water.

The deal also includes $85.6 million for more than 100 Sidewinder missiles, a mainstay of Western militaries for their air-to-air firepower.

China, calling Taiwan an “inalienable” part of its territory, urged the United States to “immediately revoke” the arms sales.

China announces fresh military drills around Taiwan

“It sends wrong signals to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and severely jeopardizes China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” said Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington.

“China will resolutely take legitimate and necessary counter-measures in light of the development of the situation,” he added.

A spokesperson for the State Department, which approved the sale, said the package was “essential for Taiwan’s security” and stressed that the United States still recognized only Beijing and not Taipei.

“We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The sales “are routine cases to support Taiwan’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability,” the spokesperson said on condition of anonymity in line with protocol.

Comments

Comments are closed.