Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On December 17 (US EST), the United States government announced that it had notified Congress of the sale to Taiwan of an approximately US$11.1 billion military package that includes eight items: the Taiwan Tactical Network (TTN) and Team Awareness Kit (TAK) for the armed forces; AH-1W Helicopter Spare and Repair Parts and related equipment, M109A7 Self-Propelled Howitzers, additional procurement of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and related equipment, additional procurement of tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided (TOW) missiles, and anti-armor UAV missile systems for the army; Javelin Missile System and related equipment, and Harpoon Missile Repair Follow-on Support and related equipment for the navy. Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) stated on December 18 that the Presidential Office is sincerely grateful to the US government for once again demonstrating that it continues to fulfill its security commitments in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.

Spokesperson Kuo noted that this is the second arms sale to Taiwan announced during the Trump administration, once again highlighting the close Taiwan-US partnership and fully demonstrating the importance the US government attaches to Taiwan’s national defense needs. In the face of increasingly severe regional security challenges, she said, Taiwan will raise defense spending, as it is defined by NATO, to over three percent of GDP next year, and aims for this figure to reach five percent by 2030. She also noted that the government has previously proposed a special budget for enhancing defense, resilience, and asymmetric capabilities. The spokesperson stated that Taiwan will continue to reform national defense, strengthen whole-of-society defense resilience, demonstrate our determination for self-defense, and maintain peace through strength.

Spokesperson Kuo emphasized that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific are indispensable to the security and prosperity of the international community. She stated that Taiwan will continue to deepen its partnerships with the US and other like-minded countries in order to safeguard the universal values of freedom and democracy and uphold regional peace, stability, and prosperity.