The US government plans to send $500 million worth of arms to Taiwan through a fast-track procedure, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. This procedure was already used before to supply weapons to Ukraine. The shipment will consist of weapons or support equipment from existing US reserves, and it has not yet been specified which weapons will be sent to the island. Using this fast-track process will allow the US to avoid the lengthy process of procurement and production of weapons. US lawmakers have reported that there is a delay in arms supplies to Taiwan worth $19 billion.
In May, the US Department of Defense announced that it had awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems a contract worth $217.6 million to provide Taiwan with four MQ-9B SkyGuardian reconnaissance drones. In addition, in mid-April, the chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting the Taiwanese government through arms shipments and military training for its armed forces. McCaul also noted that Congress is accelerating the sale of weapons necessary for the Taiwanese authorities to defend themselves.
This move by the United States is sure to strain relations with China, which has insisted that Taiwan is part of its territory and has stepped up its military presence near the island in recent years. The United States, for its part, has maintained informal relations with Taiwan but has no official diplomatic relations with the island.