US approves possible sale of military parts to Taiwan
The US State Department is ready to sell a batch of military parts to Taiwan, officials said on 24 September, the same day President Donald Trump's latest round of tariffs against Chinese imports took effect.
The $330 million contract would see the US ship standard spare parts for several aircraft including the F-16 fighter and the C-130 cargo plane, the State Department said in a statement.
Congress has 30 days to raise objections to the sale, though this is unlikely given the State Department has determined Taiwan continues to be ‘an important force for political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region.’
Washington remains Taipei's most powerful unofficial ally and its main arms supplier despite switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.
China has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since the Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen took office two years ago, including staging a series of military exercises near the island.
Taiwan on 25 September welcomed the US announcement, saying it would help the island strengthen its defence capabilities.
The foreign ministry said in a statement: ‘As Taiwan faces gradually heightened threats, the US arm sales would... also boost Taiwan's confidence in strengthening self-defence to help maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.’
Taiwan's presidential office said the island's government would continue to increase its defence investment and ‘maintain close communication and cooperation’ with the US on security issues.
Beijing, which sees self-ruling Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting unification, has been incensed by recent warming ties between Washington and Taipei, including the approval by the US State Department of a preliminary licence to sell submarine technology to the island.
The US recently sanctioned a Chinese military procurement organisation, drawing a sharp protest from Beijing and a decision to postpone planned military talks.
Beijing and Washington are also at odds over China's wooing of Taiwan's diplomatic allies.
Trump's most recent tariffs against China cover another $200 billion of Chinese imports.
The move brings the amount of Chinese goods hit by duties to more than $250 billion, roughly half of China's US exports.
More from Defence Notes
-
![Estonia opts for smart, adaptable and cooperative solutions in the face of Russian threat]()
Estonia opts for smart, adaptable and cooperative solutions in the face of Russian threat
Estonian-made equipment is being put through the toughest of evaluations in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers resisting the full-scale Russian invasion which began in 2022. The country has long seen the threat and is continuing to adapt for the future.
-
![UK faces cost of balancing defensive capabilities abroad as Iran conflict widens]()
UK faces cost of balancing defensive capabilities abroad as Iran conflict widens
The UK has recently deployed a Type 45 destroyer to Cyprus and has bolstered its presence in the Middle East in recent weeks with supporting air power to protect neighbouring countries’ air defences.
-
![White House calls on Pentagon contractors to “rapidly and aggressively” boost weapon production]()
White House calls on Pentagon contractors to “rapidly and aggressively” boost weapon production
Intended to sustain Operation Epic Fury against Iran, efforts to increase the production of weapons and ammunition could expose long-standing weaknesses in the US defence industrial base.
-
![India’s strategic defence footprint expansion could be accelerated by Iran-Israel conflict]()
India’s strategic defence footprint expansion could be accelerated by Iran-Israel conflict
The latest escalation between Iran and Israel could shape New Delhi’s next-generation shield as India deepens cooperation with Israel on missile defence and drone production.
-
![Is the US magazine of air defence interceptors deep enough to sustain a long campaign against Iran?]()
Is the US magazine of air defence interceptors deep enough to sustain a long campaign against Iran?
The Pentagon spent a considerable number of THAAD and SM-3 rounds to defend against Iranian missiles in 2025 and has not fully replenished its reserves.
