The United States government has approved a potential $500m sale of military equipment to Taiwan. This move would increase already soaring tensions between the U.S. and China. However, the State Department said that this proposed sale of equipment would not change the military balance in the region. The sale is set to be negotiated with Lockheed Martin, a defense and aerospace company.
The defense actions of Taiwan’s President, Tsai Ing-Wen, clash with China’s stance towards Taiwan. China considers Taiwan as part of its territory and has implied it may use force to bring Taiwan under its control. The U.S. has not had formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan since 1979, when it chose to recognize Beijing as the government of China.
