[ SCMP ] Biden administration approves its first arms sale to Taiwan

The potential US$750 million deal includes 40 new M109 self-propelled howitzers and almost 1,700 kits to convert projectiles into more precise GPS-guided munitions

The proposed sale would improve Taiwan’s capability to blunt a Chinese land invasion

The US State Department notified Congress on Wednesday of a proposal to sell some US$750 million of weapons to Taiwan, all but finalising what will be the first arms sale to the self-governed island by US President Joe Biden’s administration.

Included in the proposed sale are 40 self-propelled artillery units, a number of other armored vehicles, machine guns, and almost 1,700 kits to convert standard artillery shells into smart weapons that can steer themselves towards targets.

The sale of the self-propelled artillery vehicles, known as howitzers, would “contribute to the modernisation of Taiwan’s howitzer fleet, strengthening its self-defence capabilities to meet current and future threats,” a State Department representative said in emailed comments.

The proposal, brought forth under the State Department’s Foreign Military Sales programme, will require the approval of Congress, which has united around the need for US support of Taiwan on a largely bipartisan basis.