Washington: According to the Pentagon on Wednesday, the US State Department has given the go-ahead for the potential sale of Volcano anti-tank mine-laying systems to Taiwan for about $180 million.
The potential sale's prime contractors are Northrop Grumman and Oshkosh Corporation.
According to US law, the executive branch must inform Congress of any potential arms sales that would exceed a certain threshold. However, the State Department and the Pentagon typically aren't informed unless lawmakers have given them informal permission to proceed.
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The potential agreement comes as China increases its diplomatic, military, and economic pressure on Taiwan to assert its sovereignty claims. Over the past three years, Chinese air force missions have been conducted almost every day close to the island.
In a statement, Taiwan's defence ministry said that the sale would go through in about a month and that the system would help increase the island's ability to engage in "asymmetric warfare" and make its forces more nimble.
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The ministry stated that ongoing US military sales are "the cornerstone of maintaining regional stability and peace," adding that "the Chinese Communist Party's frequent military activities near Taiwan have posted severe military threats to us."
China is enraged by the fact that the United States is Taiwan's strongest international ally and primary supplier of weapons.
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China declares that Taiwan is its own territory and threatens to use force if necessary to seize the island. Taiwan says it will defend itself if attacked and categorically rejects Beijing's claim of sovereignty.