The President of Taiwan Cai Inwen stated that she was happy, that the US Congress has passed the wide-ranging aid package, which includes arms support for the island, reports Reuters.
Against this background, China has called on Washington to stop selling arms to Taipei.
The United States is Taiwan’s most important international supporter and arms supplier, although the two countries have no formal diplomatic ties.
China considers Taiwan its territory and has repeatedly demanded an end to arms sales.
The US Senate approved by a vote of 79 to 18 four bills passed by the House of Representatives on Saturday. It comes after House Republican leaders abruptly reversed course last week and allowed a vote on $95 billion in mostly military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and US partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Taiwan asks US how to use new military aid
The package showed Washington’s “solid” support for Taipei
In a meeting with visiting US lawmakers at the president’s office in Taipei, Tsai celebrated the passage of the bills over the weekend.
“We are very pleased that the Senate has just passed these bills.”she pointed out.
China maintains that Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijing’s claims to sovereignty, is a purely internal matter and the most sensitive and important topic in relations with the United States.
In Beijing China’s Taiwan Affairs Office expressed anger at the billswhich President Joe Biden is expected to sign into law later today.
The bills “send the wrong signal to separatist Taiwan independence forces, and we strongly oppose this,” spokesman Zhu Fenliang stressed.
The Capitol also voted on military aid to Taiwan
Key support against China’s aspirations
“We call on the United States to take concrete action to fulfill its commitment not to support Taiwan’s independence and to stop arming it in any way.” she added.
Over the past four years, Taiwan has complained of increased Chinese military activity near the island, including near-daily missions by Chinese warplanes and warships.
On Sunday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it would discuss with the United States how to use the new funding.
Since 2022 Taiwan complains about delays in US arms deliveries such as the Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems, as manufacturers focused on supplies to Ukraine to help the country fight Russian forces.
A Taiwanese diplomat’s meeting with Mike Johnson has angered China
They discussed the US commitment to strengthening the island’s defenses
