By Oyintari Ben
As China began three days of military drills surrounding the island Beijing claims as its territory, a senior US legislator promised on Saturday to assist in funding training for Taiwan’s armed forces and expedite weaponry delivery.
China announced its drills following outrage after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met with Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles the day after she returned to Taipei.
Michael McCaul, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, said they strongly supported Taiwan and that democracies needed to stand together while speaking at a luncheon Tsai gave for his bipartisan group in Taipei.
As the head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he declared, “I approve all sales of foreign military hardware, including arms to Taiwan, and I assure you, Madam President, we will provide that hardware.”
Since last year, Taiwan has complained about the delay in receiving American armaments, such as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as producers switch supply to Ukraine to help that country’s defence against Russia.
Republican McCaul stated, “We are doing everything we can in Congress to speed up these sales and get the weapons you need to defend yourselves.”
“Exhibiting vulnerability just encourages hostility and strife. The promotion of peace and deterrence is achieved through projecting strength. Without further information, he said, “And we will train your military—not for war, but for peace.”
Although a formal defence agreement between Taiwan and the United States was broken in 1979 when Washington formally sided with Beijing, tight military cooperation still exists, and the United States remains Taiwan’s principal foreign supplier of weapons.
The United States has long provided some level of weapon system training and in-depth guidance on fortifying its military to fend off an invasion by China’s People’s Liberation Army.
Taiwanese fighter pilots have already received training in the US.
According to two American officials who spoke to Reuters in February, the US plans to increase the number of soldiers training Taiwanese forces.
China sees Taiwan as the most sensitive and significant subject in its ties with the United States, and the issue frequently causes conflict between Beijing and Washington.
