Taiwan reminds US of the urgency of its situation as Pentagon resources are stretched across the Middle East
Wellington Koo, Taiwan's defense minister, said on Wednesday that the island nation is still waiting for US arms deliveries promised by Washington, but assured that the United States has a “fairly high level” of urgency in helping the island nation threatened by China, Reuters reports.
Taiwan, which faces a growing military threat from China, has complained of repeated delays in arms shipments ordered from the United States. Washington is the most important international supporter and arms supplier to the island, which Beijing claims as its own territory.
One of the main delays concerns a 2019 order for 66 F-16V fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin, equipped with more advanced radar systems. The Taiwanese government hopes these will help its armed forces stand up to China's air force, including its J-20 stealth jets, in the event of a conflict.
Minister Koo told accredited reporters at the Taipei parliament that deliveries of many of the ordered weapons systems have already begun or been completed.
Taiwan says the US understands its urgent need for weaponry
“With respect to the components that have experienced delays, the United States has already established a special project team to accelerate the relevant weapons programs and help us catch up as quickly as possible,” he said.
“We have also repeatedly explained that the level of urgency for the United States to help us strengthen our self-defense capabilities as quickly as possible is actually quite high,” the official insisted to reporters.
His comments come after the ministry he leads said over the weekend that deliveries of F-16V fighter jets to Taiwan would begin this year, with production at “full capacity”.
The US government is required by legislation passed by Congress to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and the arms sales are a constant source of tension between Washington and Beijing, which has called for an end to them.
