The White House announced this Friday a historic package of military aid for Taiwan worth of $345 million (313 million euros at today’s exchange rate), amid the tension between the US and China.
The US government released a memorandum signed by the president Joe Biden and addressed to the Secretary of State, Antony Blink, authorizing the shipment to the island of military equipment from the inventory of the Pentagon.
The text does not specify the components that will make up this military assistance package, although an employee of the Congress aid connoisseur told the outlet The Hill containing intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms, missiles, and man-portable air defense systems, known as MANPADS.
According to US media, for the first time the North American country will send aid of this type to Taiwan that comes from the inventory of the Defense Department, rather than through the US Overseas Military Sales Program.
The mechanism used on this occasion is similar to that used by the US to allocate security aid to Ukraine, which is proving fast and effective.