“Washington pays special attention to anti-ship missiles”
The situation around Taiwan is heating up every day. After the provocation with the boats of the US Seventh Fleet, which defiantly proceeded through the Taiwan Strait, because of which Beijing put its troops on high alert, it became known about American plans to supply Taiwan with weapons worth more than $1.1 billion. The Politico newspaper writes about this, citing its own informed sources.
Photo: AP
The well-known Russian political scientist, expert on Asia and China, director of the Center commented on the situation with American arms supplies to Taiwan. Comprehensive European and International Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Candidate of Political Sciences Vasily Kashin.
Washington has not been tired of escalating the situation around Taiwan lately. Arms deliveries to Taipei absolutely fit into this strategy. True, US President Joe Biden still has to get Congressional approval for them as soon as lawmakers return from vacation. However, there is no particular doubt that approval will be obtained. At a White House briefing last Monday, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby already announced pledges to provide Taiwan with more security assistance.
Question to Vasily Kashin:
– The United States is always sold weapons to Taiwan. Although, of course, in recent years, its supplies have increased dramatically. In just the past few years, more than $20 billion worth of arms contracts have been concluded between Washington and Taipei. Sometimes they easily reached several billion dollars a year. $1.1 billion is another arms package.
– It's hard to say yet. Specifically, it is known about the supply of about 100 air-to-air missiles and 60 anti-ship missiles. Now, in general, in the supply of weapons to Taiwan, the United States is mainly focusing on anti-ship missiles, as well as air defense and missile defense, artillery and all kinds of light weapons.
– I think it is impossible to unequivocally predict anything. But within the next two or three years, there is a high probability of the outbreak of an armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait. And it will be much larger and more dangerous than the one we are seeing now in Ukraine.
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