If the measure is implemented, the US military could “arrive as soon as possible” if something happens to Taiwan, without wasting time delivering war materiel, an analyst says.
Taiwan and the US are holding talks on the possibility of creating contingency stockpiles of US munitions on the island, report local media citing Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng.
Asked by a lawmaker Monday during a parliamentary committee meeting about the possibility of the US being allowed to store in Taiwan some of the stockpiles it currently has in other parts of the region, including Japan and South Korea Chiu said talks are ongoing, but no decision has been made yet.
Su Tzu-yun, director of the Department of Strategy and Resources at the Taiwanese think tank Institute for National Defense and Security Research, says that if the measure were implemented, the US military could “arrive as soon as possible” if something happens to Taiwan, without wasting time in the delivery of war material.
According to the military analyst, Washington is discussing an increase in the amount of military materiel and equipment on the island to “prepare for the eventuality that it could be used by the US Army and, of course, by the national Army” from Taiwan.
Last week, the US State Department approved the possible sale to Taiwan of munitions for F-16 fighter jets and related equipment in a deal valued at $619 million.
For his part, the spokesman for the Chinese Defense Ministry, Tan Kefei, condemned this decision, calling it “blatant interference.”
“The US action constitutes flagrant interference in China’s internal affairs, a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiques. (…) We demand that the US. cease arms sales to Taiwan, as well as US-Taiwan military ties, and stop meddling in the matter,” the spokesperson said.
