On Friday, a top U.S. legislator said he was doing everything necessary to speed up the sale of weapons to Taiwan, suggesting other countries having the guns may sell them to the island with U.S. authorization.
Since last year, Taiwan has complained of delays in U.S. weapons exports, including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as producers defend Ukraine against Russia.
Michael McCaul, chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, told reporters on tour to Taiwan that Taiwan needed weapons because China claimed the democratically controlled island as its own.
“On the weapons problem, I sign off on those supplies and we are doing all in our ability to accelerate this,” he said in Taiwan’s parliament, where he met speaker You Si-kun.
He suggested “hardening” Taiwan to boost its deterrence.
As Taiwan is in a high-threat area, McCaul suggested prioritizing weapons sales and allowing “third party sales” from other nations.
“We want to do everything possible to discourage a very hostile nation, Communist China, from ever thinking of arriving on this lovely island, because it would be a major error for all.”
China resents the U.S. for being Taiwan’s main armaments supplier.
Republican McCaul and seven other members are on a bipartisan trip the same week Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles, which China criticized.
As then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei in August, China held military drills surrounding Taiwan.
At the same press conference, You claimed he asked McCarthy last year to visit Taiwan before he became speaker and felt it was merely a time issue.
China has continued to use force to subjugate Taiwan and has increased military and political pressure on Taipei.
You compared Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inability to rapidly take Ukraine to a “wonderful dinner” that had become a fishbone in his throat, teaching China’s leader Xi Jinping a lesson.
“I think this is a warning for Xi Jinping,” You remarked.
Tsai returns to Taiwan late Friday and will meet McCaul’s delegation Saturday.
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