China concern after Taiwan confirms US arms purchase request
In the midst of an ongoing US-China trade war, Taiwan on Thursday confirmed that it has requested to purchase over $2 billion worth of tanks, anti-armour missiles, anti-tank missiles and man-portable air defence systems from the United States. The announcement followed reports suggesting that the US may soon approve the deal. Those reports also mentioned that Taiwan wants to buy 66 F-16 fighter jets, but this has not been confirmed.
China expressed concern about the potential arms deal, and said that it had urged the US government not to proceed with the sale. While Taiwan is an autonomous state, it has never formally declared independence from China, which considers the island part of it’s sovereign territory.
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