The United States has approved $567 million in aid for Taiwan, strengthening its defence against Chinese threats.
The United States is to send $567 million in new military aid to Taiwan, aimed at strengthening its defensive capabilities in the face of the growing threat from China. The assistance includes anti-armour equipment, air defence systems and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), key elements in the asymmetric strategy adopted to counter China’s military superiority. This new tranche of aid is the largest to date, almost doubling a previous consignment of 345 million dollars. The aim is to support Taiwan’s defensive autonomy while avoiding military tensions with Beijing.
Record aid for Taiwan: strategic and security issues
The $567 million in military aid that the United States is preparing to send to Taiwan marks a new stage in US-Taiwan relations, particularly in the context of growing tensions with China. This aid package, the largest to date, is almost double the $345 million sent in 2022. The assistance, which includes anti-armour defence systems, air defence equipment and unmanned aerial vehicles, is aimed at strengthening the island’s defence capabilities in the face of the growing threat of a Chinese invasion.
The United States is Taiwan’s main supplier of military equipment. It is now using a fast-track shipping process, similar to that used for military aid to Ukraine, drawing on its own stocks to respond rapidly to Taiwan’s needs. This method bypasses the usually long lead times associated with arms sales and defence contracts, while underlining the urgency of strengthening Taiwan’s defence at a time when Beijing is stepping up its military exercises around the island.
This aid package is partly funded by appropriations voted in April 2023 by the US Congress, which allocated $1.9 billion to replenish stocks of military equipment sent to the Indo-Pacific region, a large proportion of which is destined for Taiwan. These arms shipments are intended to strengthen the military balance in the region in the face of rising geopolitical tensions.
China’s reaction: escalating military tensions?
China considers Taiwan to be an integral part of its territory and does not rule out the use of military force to reunite the island with the mainland. Every time American arms are sent to Taiwan, tensions are exacerbated with Beijing, which perceives this aid as a direct threat to its sovereignty and a provocation.
At the Shangri-La Dialogue summit, the largest defence summit in Asia, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun warned that foreign support for Taiwanese separatist movements would be severely punished. Shortly afterwards, the Chinese army conducted large-scale military exercises around the island, a show of force designed to remind Taiwan and its allies that military intervention is still a possibility.
Despite these tensions, attempts at dialogue continue between the two superpowers. In September 2023, members of the Pentagon attended a defence conference in Beijing, and in August, Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor, met senior Chinese officials in an attempt to defuse certain tensions. These meetings illustrate the complexity of Sino-American relations, where military support for Taiwan comes up against the need to avoid direct conflict between the two nations.
Taiwan’s asymmetric defence: drones, anti-armour systems and air defence
The core of Taiwan’s defence strategy is based on an asymmetrical approach, designed to compensate for the much greater size and power of the Chinese army. Equipment supplied by the United States, in particular drones and anti-armour defence systems, plays a central role in this approach. These technologies enable Taiwan to adopt modern guerrilla tactics, relying on rapid and precise strikes against larger and better-equipped units.
Drones, in particular, have become an essential part of this asymmetric strategy. They offer advanced surveillance and the ability to strike at specific targets while reducing the risks to human forces. During the war in Ukraine, for example, drones proved highly effective against armoured targets and well-defended enemy positions. By equipping Taiwan with similar technologies, the United States is seeking to strengthen its ability to resist a military invasion from China.
The air defence systems included in this new aid package are just as crucial. The latest generation air defence systems enable Taiwan to counter air attacks, a key element in the defence against Chinese incursions. Control of airspace could be decisive in a conflict with Beijing, which has one of the largest air forces in the world.
Logistical challenges and speed of delivery
One of the major advantages of this aid is the speed of delivery, thanks to the drawdown of US military stocks. This mechanism, already used to support Ukraine, enables the United States to respond rapidly to the needs of its allies by drawing directly on its equipment reserves. However, this method also presents significant logistical challenges. A recently published Pentagon monitoring report revealed that some military equipment sent to Taiwan in a previous shipment arrived damaged, mould-covered and even out of date. Repairs and replacement of these items cost both parties an additional $730,000.
Problems such as these can undermine partners’ confidence in the ability of the US to provide timely and effective assistance. It also highlights the importance of military logistics in the delivery of these aid programmes, and the need for the Pentagon to improve its supply chains to avoid such problems in the future.
War Wings Daily is an independant magazine.