US Disburses Military Aid For Taiwan Worth IDR 5.2 Trillion

JAKARTA - The United States on Friday announced military assistance to Taiwan worth $345 million to increase the island's defense capabilities.

The White House said in a statement that President Joe Biden delegated Foreign Minister Antony Blinken to "direct withdrawals of up to 345 million dollars in defense goods and services from the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan."

Pentagon spokesman told Anadolu that "the withdrawal includes Taiwan's self-defense capabilities to improve current and future deterrence."

"The system, which is included in the millions of dollars worth of packages, overcomes critical defense supplies, multi-medium knowledge, anti-stable layers, and air defense capabilities," the spokesman added.

The package was approved after Congress approved $1 billion in military aid (approximately 15 trillion rupiah) for Taiwan under the 2023 Presidential Withdrawal Authority (PDA) budget.

When asked about the possible issuance of a notification, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby did not provide details and only answered "continued monitoring"

"It's clear we are carrying out our responsibilities towards Taiwan and improving their self-defense capabilities very seriously," Kirby said.

"Nothing has changed about it. And we will continue to find ways to do it," he added.

The move is likely to anger Beijing at a time when US-China relations remain strained over the Trump-era trade war, the official visit of former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and alleged Chinese spy balloons crossing US territory.

Although Blinken and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently visited China to discuss relations between the two countries.

China sees Taiwan as a "separating province" while Taipei insists on its independence since 1949.

The US officially recognized China in 1979 and transferred diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing, including Taiwan as part of mainland China.