Trump Administration Approves New Arms Sales to Taiwan, China Replies with Sanctions

Oct. 27, 2020 (EIRNS)—The Trump Administration approved a new arms sale to Taiwan, yesterday, consisting of 500 Harpoon missiles of two different subtypes, all made by Boeing and worth $2.4 billion. The formal notification of approval comes on the heels of three additional weapons deals worth a combined $1.8 billion announced on Oct. 21, reported The Hill. That package includes 135 Boeing-made air-to-ground cruise missiles, 11 Lockheed Martin-made truck-mounted rocket launchers and six MS-110 reconnaissance pods that can be attached to Taiwan’s fighter jets.

China responded to the earlier sale by announcing sanctions against Boeing’s defense unit, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. “In order to safeguard national interests, China decided to impose sanctions on the American companies that were involved in arms sales to Taiwan,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular news briefing.