In this Feb. 24, 2019 file photo, U.S. F-16 fighter aircraft perform aerobatic maneuvers on the last day of Aero India 2019 at Yelahanka air base in Bangalore, India. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

US notifies Congress of planned sale of F-16 fighters to Taiwan

Harvi
Business & Industry
Automotive & Equipment
Aug 21, 2019
1947
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The U.S. government on Tuesday officially notified Congress of a proposed sale of F-16 fighter jets worth $8 billion to Taiwan, highlighting the importance of security cooperation with Taipei for peace in the region.
The planned sale of 66 F-16s and other equipment "serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.

It will be the first U.S. sale of fighter jets to the self-ruled island since 1992. The plan has already drawn strong protests from China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said earlier that the Taiwan issue involves China's "core interests" and warned of "countermeasures" if the United States pushes ahead with the plan, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

A U.S. State Department official stressed there is no change to the "long-standing U.S. 'one-China' policy."

"U.S. security cooperation with Taiwan has ensured and will promote peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the region," the official said.

The planned sale comes amid stalled trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing and concerns over a potentially violent crackdown by Chinese authorities on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

Source: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190821/p2g/00m/0in/043000c